NLC blames politicians for Nigeria’s woes

SSANU: Govt Has Forgotten Social Contract With Nigerians

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has blamed the brand of politics the political actors play for the slow development of Nigeria.

In its Independence Day message issued in Abuja, yesterday, by its President, Ayuba Wabba, the NLC said instead of building on the zeal and energy of Nigerian workers and people to redeem the image of the black race which was badly mauled by slave trade and colonisation, Nigeria’s political leaders shifted their eyes from the dreams of a great country and became fixated with the delusion of personal conquests through a primitive accumulation of wealth aided by a deliberate divide and rule politics.

Wabba noted that from independence in 1960 to date, Nigeria was yet to recover from the tsunami of ethno-religious politics, values disorientation and the weakening of unifying institutions.

He further observed that Nigeria’s deterioration has come so fast and furious that Nigerians have inadvertently surrendered the will and space for development to very unreasonable, violent and destructive non-state actors who have not only become a law to themselves but are trying to impose their regime of lawlessness on the country. 

Wabba submitted that millions of Nigerians were almost accepting life as internally displaced persons as normal.  He lamented that unemployment, especially among the teeming youth, has risen to unprecedented levels, warning that the youth were no longer willing to wait for jobs that are nowhere.

“The frustration and despondency of our youths are at the root of the numerous ills and crimes prevalent in different parts of the country. When we paused the march to human capital optimisation, industrialisation, food sufficiency and egalitarianism, what were we expecting? Even the blind and the deaf now know that the chicken has come home to roost,” he stated.

However, Wabba noted that it was not too late to pull back from the brink, saying: “It is not too late to resume our paused march to greatness. We can still become that country that accords the pride of place to truth, productivity, hard work, excellence, integrity, patriotism, service and sacrifice. We can still create industries for our teeming youths to gain decent jobs. We can still provide an excellent infrastructure that inspires inclusive economic growth. We can still foster an atmosphere of rule of law, equity, social justice, peace, law and order as a sustainable cure for the deregulated crises of violence in many parts of Nigeria. We can still regain our humanity of love and care for workers and pensioners.”

On his part, President, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mohammed Ibrahim bemoaned the gulf that exists between the ruling class and the masses.

He accused the political class of pursuing political power and forgetting the social contract they signed with the citizens.
   
He urged elected political leaders to re-invent themselves and be true countrymen who strive and work for the common good of the country and its citizens.  

According to him, now is the time for the government to jettison the old attitude of reneging on signed agreements it entered into with unions in the labour sector for a change.