The factional President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero has scored the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) below 10 per cent in performance on the premise that most of the companies the agency privatised are now moribund.
He advised the in-coming government of Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to review the activities of the agency with a view to ensuring that the interest of workers are properly taken care of before embarking on privatisation.
Comrade Ajaero made this remark at the end of the Central Working Committee meeting of the congress held Lagos.
According to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the congress resolved to develop a blue print on how to achieve steady electricity supply, adding that there should be a road map on how many megawatts of electricity should be generated yearly over a period of time.
The congress reaffirmed its commitment to the unity of the labour movement in Nigeria based on the principles of trade union independence, fairness, strong internal democracy, equity, solidarity, gender balance and justice.
Members of the CWC also reiterated their commitment to genuine dialogue with an independent reconciliation committee to be constituted by labour veterans and civil society leaders with a view to addressing the current challenges facing the congress.
Ajaero enjoined the government to focus on expanding the frontier for job creation through value added activities in agriculture and manufacturing.
“The president-elect must muster the political will to confront the hydra headed challenge of smuggling, electricity failure, faking and counterfeiting of made-in-Nigeria goods.
“We demand special attention to address the challenge of electricity supply in the country and in particular in the immediate term accelerated solution for industrial power needs,” he said.
He pointed out that once power needs of industries are addressed and the new government is able to create stability in the micro-economic environment, the power prospect for expanded industrial development and job creation is huge.
He also urged the in-coming administration to address income inequality and widening gap between the poor and the rich through wage improvements and progressive tax administration, even as the minimum wage committee was mandated to develop and send a proposal to the Federal Government and the transition committee.
