The battle between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Labour Party (LP) has escalated, with NLC members picketing the party’s offices in the Utako district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Wednesday.
The union members, led by Theophilus Ndubuaku, interim leader of the Political Commission of the Congress, demanded Julius Abure’s immediate resignation as the party’s national leader, claiming that he was not duly elected.
The NLC political commission chairman also asserted that the party’s scheduled convention, led by Abure, is illegal.
The proposed convention, which is claimed to be slated for March 27 in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, was said by the NLC to be intended to re-elect Abure as the sole administrator of the Labour Party, with concerns raised over the event’s secrecy.
The NLC is calling for the formation of a caretaker transition committee to plan a genuine and all-inclusive national convention for the party.
Although no party officials are present at the headquarters, labour leaders have occupied the premises as officers and men from the Nigerian police force keep a watch on the secretariat to prevent vandalism.
Union members who have remained at the Labour Party headquarters are screaming songs against Abure, accusing the party’s chairman of embezzling cash.
However, in an earlier statement, the Labour Party leadership vehemently opposed the instruction, claiming that it was motivated by Ajaero’s alleged desire to become the party’s next national chairman.
It further denied any financial irregularities, stating that the party is open to a forensic assessment of its books.
“We are even calling on the NLC to send its own external auditors to check our financial books. We are also calling on Peter Obi to expedite action on the auditing of our accounts.
“And for the NLC to be using this as cheap blackmail is to show their high level of desperation and mischief,” LP said.
The Labour Party recommended that the labour union and its commission focus solely on their statutory obligations to defend workers and their rights.
“Today, the minimum wage is N30.000, while a bag of rice is N80.000. We hear about the NLC talking about the ethos and ethics of the Labour movement and the Labour Party. This is also an NLC that cannot call or sustain a strike for one or two days without calling it off.
“This is an NLC that cannot think of calling a protest and sustaining it in order to get the attention of the government in the interest of the workers.”
