The Save Nigeria Movement, a frontline pro-democracy group, has accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige of working against the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) citing his comment on national television concerning his preferred candidate for the 2023 presidential election as indicator.
The group in a statement signed by its convener, Rev. Solomon Semaka, also cited the poor handling of labour issues by the minister, particularly the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) imbroglio that has kept students at home for nearly 8 months, saying it was a deliberate ploy by Ngige to set Nigerians against the APC regime and its presidential candidate.
Recall that Dr Chris Ngige had while featuring on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, said he would not disclose his preferred presidential candidate in the 2023 election. “What manner of hypocrisy is this? What more can a true patriot describe as sabotage?” Semaka queried.
The group further described the minister’s posturing as hypocritical and annoying, saying he cannot claim to be indifferent in politics when he is holding a senior cabinet political appointment with all privileges, and urged him to either choose to work for the party that provided opportunity for him to serve as minister or resign with immediate effect.
Continuing, the group said: “It is simply hypocritical and shameful for the Minister to make comments that suggest that he is trying to stand on the fence on such an issue. The minister must realise that he is not occupying the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment as a technocrat but as a politician who himself aspired to be president. As a party man, he has no choice than to queue behind the party’s presidential candidate or simply resign his appointment.
“This recent posturing by Dr Ngige has confirmed the insinuations in some quarters that he chose to handle labour issues particularly the ASUU dispute lackadaisically so as to set the general public against the administration of President Buhari and the APC flag bearer, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.”