There is a glimmer of hope that the leadership crisis rocking the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will soon end. TOBA AGBOOLA writes that besides the judicial intervention being sought at the National Industrial Court (NIC), the two camps battling for the leadership have indicated interest to embrace a peaceful resolution.
Crisis-weary Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) factions may soon close ranks. Embroiled in what many call “an avoidable rift”, the workers’ umbrella union has, in the past four months, operated at cross-purposes under factional leaderships.
The division in 23 of the 36 affiliated unions in the organised labour was triggered by sundry issues, including alleged corruption and electoral malpractices.
The botched election of March 12 that threw up Ayuba Wabba and Joe Ajaero as factional presidents left the local chapters of the NLC in many states confused as to who the authentic leader is, thereby exposing the body to manipulation by external forces.
The state branches, which are the basic building blocks of trade unions, have been in disarray since the election.
But, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. National Industrial Court (NIC) President Babatunde Adejumo has advised the two factions to embrace peaceful reconciliation of their dispute.
Justice Adejumo’s counsel came on the heels of a legal suit, which came up for hearing before his court in Ikoyi, Lagos, between the two factions.
The suit stemmed from the 11th National Delegates Conference of the NLC in Abuja on March 12.
Loyalists of both camps, in their hundreds, stormed the court as early as 7am, jostling for space in the court room and within the premises.
Chief Gani Adetola Kaseem (SAN), Mrs. Aisha Aremu-Ogunlade and Ahmed Adetola Kaseem, among other lawyers, are in the legal team of the Wabba-led faction. Lawyers from the Enobong Etteh’s & Nnamonso Ekanem’s Chambers are holding brief for the Ajaero-led faction.
After listening to Wabba’s counsel, Justice Adejumo, in an admonition, urged the various unions to embrace mutual reconciliation rather than traversing court rooms for an intervention that would further widen the gulf among workers. He advocated an amicable and out-of-court settlement of the crisis.
The NIC president noted that the ordinary union members and the nation at large hold the labour movement in high esteem, given its historic role in the nation’s history.
He urged the lawyers representing the factions to join hands in resolving the lingering dispute, reminding them that a divided NLC would not bring anything good for its members.
Stressing the importance of labour in the development of a nation, Justice Adejumo said workers constitute the “engine-room of the economy”, adding that a united NLC is better off than a divided one.
Justice Adejumo described Issa Aremu, one of the 11 defendants served with originating sermons, as a tested and respected labour leader, who can use his wealth of experience to resolve the crisis.
He said: “With the likes of Comrade Issa Aremu and others who are respected labour leaders in Nigeria, reconciliation should not be ignored.”
The judge, however, warned that the court has the powers of conciliation in matters such as NLC’s internal dispute. These powers, he said, are contained in Section 20 of the NIC Act.
According to him, it is an implied duty of the court, which may warrant it to appoint a Trustee for the NLC, urging the counsels to explore opportunities for reconciliation on a ‘no loser, no vanquish’ basis.
Before adjourning the case to October 8, Justice Adejumo stated that he gave the advice without prejudice to the case before his court.
Reacting to the development, the National President of the National Union Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Oladele Hunsu, commended the NIC President for his counsel for amicable reconciliation against litigation.
“We also acknowledge the spirited effort by the highly-respected labour veterans to reconcile both factions following the discredited 11th Delegates’ Conference and Special Delegates’ Conference of NLC respectively”, he said.
Noting that his union, where Aremu serves as the general secretary, supported the reconciliation option, he called on other labour leaders to take advantage of the admonition of the NIC President to unite and resolve all outstanding issues in order to forge a common front to defend the workers in the face of the harsh economic situation.
The Wabba led-camp had returned to the NIC, seeking among others, a declaration that the Special Delegates’ Conference of NLC, where Ajaero and others emerged officers of the Congress, was not organised by the NLC in line with the Constitution of the Congress in 2011 and should therefore be declared illegal, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.
But, in the spirit of the out-of-court settlement, initiated by veteran unionists, led by the founding NLC President, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu, the belief of concerned members is that the period of the adjournment will be used by the factions to find an enduring and a win-win solution to the problem.
Blackmailing and impersonation
Events in the past may have further widened the gulf between the two factions. Despite the fact that the Ajaero-led group has expressed its disposition to reconciliation, the other faction under Wabba, has on several occasions accused the group of impersonation.
Wabba, in a recent statement, said the NLC headquarters took exception to the issuance of statements by the Ajaero faction on behalf of the Congress.
His words: “The attention of the Congress has been drawn to the serial impersonation by Comrades Joe Ajaero and Issa Aremu since they both lost their bids to be President and Deputy President of the NLC at the rescheduled March 14, 2015 elections of Congress.”
Wabba explained what informed his reaction, citing a statement credited to Aremu, in which he called on the National Assembly to, in line with the economic realities, further reduce its N120 billion vote.
He stated: “While we had restrained the National Secretariat from publishing a disclaimer in the hope that common sense and sanity would eventually prevail on our comrades to stop this delusion, it has become clear to us and the entire labour movement that Comrades Ajaero and Aremu are determined to continue in their enterprise of impersonation as president and deputy president of the NLC.
“It is for this reason that Comrade Aremu had continued to issue statements in which he continually purport himself to be the deputy president of Congress and on behalf of our revered organisation.
“One of such statements, and which was given wide publicity in at least four national dailies, contended that the alleged decision of the National Assembly to voluntarily cut its budget from N150 billion to N120 billion was “too token and not far-reaching enough.”
Wabba stressed that though they (Ajaero and Aremu) can issue statements or speak on behalf of their respective unions, being affiliates of the NLC, they have no right to issue statements or speak for the NLC.
He said: “As general secretaries of their respective unions, that are affiliates of the NLC, we cannot stop Comrade Aremu of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria and Ajaero of the National Union of Electricity Employees, or any officer of an industrial union, from speaking on any national issues they feel strongly about.
“However, no affiliate, industrial union, or their officers, enjoy the liberty to issue statements in the name of the NLC, unless such an affiliate is expressly mandated to do so.”
He said all instances since Ajaero and Aremu lost their bids to be elected as president and deputy president are clear cases of impersonation.
“We had course to recently alert our international allies – Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), International Trade Union Confederation-Africa (ITUC-Africa) and International Labour Organisation (ILO), among other labour bodies – to discountenance with any correspondence from Comrades Joe Ajaero and Issa Aremu if it is purported to be on behalf of the NLC.
“While Comrades Ajaero and Aremu pretend to be advocates of democracy, they have both become clear embarrassments, to themselves and unfortunately to the entire labour movement, since they lost the elections to become national officers of Congress.
“They have failed to show even an iota of democratic civility by approaching law courts if not satisfied with the process that produced the new leadership of the NLC on March 14, 2015. Instead, they have since then been engaging in what are clear cases of obfuscation, blackmail and impersonation.”
According to Wabba, the NLC will soon engage the leadership of the National Assembly on the budget.
“For the avoidance of doubt, on the issue of the budget of the National Assembly, on which Comrade Aremu was reported to have issued a statement, we have since met with the National Assembly and we will similarly engage Mr. President on a range of national and labour-related issues, whenever we have an audience with him”, Wabba said.
In a swift reaction, Aremu lashed out on Wabba, whom he accused of wasting workers’ funds on litigation, pointing out that he should have taken debtor-governors to court over the non-payment of salaries, if only to demonstrate his love for the NLC.
According to him, Wabba should dissipate his energies and resources in tackling issues on workers’ welfare welfare and national development, instead of taking the Ajaero’s faction to court.
He said: “Governors who owe workers several months of salaries should have been taken to court of public opinion and international organisations instead of taking us to the NIC.
“The court in its wisdom knows we are not impersonating; that we are the authentic representatives of the Congress and that we have more to talk about the ministerial appointments, the National Assembly and other issues of national importance.
“We (labour leaders) have been together before, and by the grace of God, the issue will be settled since a reconciliation process has started.”
He said the strength of the organised labour cannot be in fighting one another but in fighting a common enemy, adding that a united NLC will critically move the economy of the country forward.
The NUTGTW scribe noted that labour veterans in the Sumonu-led committee have begun reconciliation moves to ensure that both parties work together as one organisation.
He added that the man-hour lost to litigation will not add to the growth of the economy, warning that division could be counter-productive.
Aremu, however, insisted that the on-going reconciliation must be based on the core values of the labour movement.
“A united NLC will be better positioned to critically address the nation’s challenges. Trade union must use the power of labour to fight for Nigerians”, he stressed.
The National President of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who doubles as the Deputy President of the Ayuba-led camp, Alhaji Najim Yasin, also confirmed the on-going reconciliatory move.
“We believe that we should all come together and speak with one voice in the general interest of all Nigerian workers”, he said.
He expressed the hope that the reconciliation move will go a long way in ending the crisis, which he admitted, has polarised the body.
Yasin commended the workers and labour leaders for their understanding, assuring them that the NLC will come out of the crisis stronger.
Oshiomhole, ex-NLC leaders, factions meet over crisis
Efforts at resolving the protracted crisis in the NLC continued in Abuja as Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and other fromer labour leaders, including Sumonu, met with factional leaders.
The meeting, which was earlier scheduled for Benin City, the Edo State capital, was moved to the Federal Capital City (FCT).
Expectedly, Wabba and Ajaero, led their factions to the meeting with the committee of veterans.
