By Moses John Abuja
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the federal government to use the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day to announce the composition of a tripartite negotiation committee to discuss a living wage for workers. President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in his massage to mark this year’s Democracy Day, also warned the military against tampering with the nation’s democratic process. Wabba, therefore, urged the Chief of Army Staff , Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to go beyond informing Nigerians by unravelling those behind the plans with the view to prosecuting them. Th e NLC boss said Congress’ opposition to military intervention in the nation’s political space was due to the damage military incursion into Nigeria’s political arena did over the decades was responsible for the underdevelopment of our political culture almost six decades after attaining political independence.
He said: “Th is year, we have decided to break from the tradition and address an issue which came to light recently. Th e Chief of Army Staff , Lt-Gen. Tukur Burutai, recently told Nigerians that he had got “information that individuals have been approaching some offi cers and soldiers for undisclosed political reasons. “Th is thinly veiled statement has been decoded in plain language to mean that some politicians and non-military persons have been approaching military offi cers to organise a military coup to truncate the current democratic dispensation. “Th e Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to state in the strongest possible tone that it is categorically opposed to any further military adventurism in the body politics of our nation.
Th e damage military incursions into Nigeria’s political arena did over the decades it imposed itself on the people are largely responsible for the underdevelopment of our political culture almost six decades after attaining political independence.” Continuing, he said: “We call on the Chief of Army Staff to go beyond just informing Nigerians and cautioning those trying to derail our democracy to desist from it. Rather, the armed forces should at the appropriate time after concluding its investigation, identify the individuals involved, prosecute them in the relevant courts, and if found guilty given the appropriate punishments as deterrent to potentially ambitious adventurers.
“We wish to conclude this brief statement with a caution to the federal government on the pending issue of our demand for the review of the National Minimum Wage. As workers, after over six years of the last salary increment which brought the national minimum wage to N18,000, with the excruciating suff ering of our members as a result of galloping infl ation caused by the massive increase in the price of petrol, and the massive devaluation of the Naira, our patience has been tested to the limit. “We, therefore, urge the federal government to use the occasion of the Democracy Day to announce the composition of the tripartite negotiation committee so that we can negotiate and have a living wage as minimum wage.”
