NLC in Kwara holds parallel congresses, elect 2 state executives

The Kwara State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Thursday held a parallel Delegates Conference where two State Executive councils were elected at different locations.

Taking after the crack that bedeviled the congress at the national level which led to fictionalization of the Labour body, the two factional conferences were supervised by their respective national leaders.

At the State Banquet Hall, opposite the Government House, Ilorin, the Wabba-led NLC produced Alhaji Yekinni Agunbiade as Chairman while Bamidele Okogbe emerged as the Kwara Chairman of Joe Ajaero’s faction.

Mr Issa Aremu, General Secretary of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers’ Union, supervised the election as the newly elected Deputy President of the faction.

He blamed the immediate past NLC President Abdulwaheed Omar for the crisis rocking the congress.

He wondered why NLC under Omar could organise an election involving only 3,000 delegates and could not collate and declare results for three days.

Aremu warned workers against leaders of the congress who romance with external powers to mortgage the general interests and the fight for the rights of Nigerian workers.

He announced that his faction of NLC would hold its Workers’ Day in Lagos on May 1

“NLC is not Abuja Labour Congress; therefore we can hold May Day Rally anywhere in Nigeria.’’

At the Waba faction, the outgoing Chairman, Umar Farouq, gave his executive and himself a pass mark in office.

He commended the State Government for a good working relationship with workers.

Farouq appealed to workers in the state to give necessary support to the incoming executives.

The Ajaero faction’s conference held at the Tobacco Company Hall elected Bamidele Okogbe as Chairman.

Suleiman Ajape emerged as Vice Chairman 1 while Tajudeen Balogun emerged Vice Chairman II.

Others included Mumuni Wara, Auditor 1, Saliu Shuaib Auditor II and Abdulateef Kolawole as Treasurer.

Tiamiyu Taofik was elected Ex-Officio 1while Obafemi Agbabiaka became Ex-Officio II and Adeyeye Adebiyi, Organising /Acting Secretary.