- Appeals for Free Polls
AGAINST the backdrop of incessant work-related disputes in 2022, the Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu, has reaffirmed the Institute’s determination to promote and deepen qualitative labour education in 2023 to minimise what he called preventable conflicts at work.
Comrade Aremu, in his New Year message, observed that with the forthcoming February presidential election and 40th anniversary of the Institute, 2023 assumes special importance for Nigeria and MINILS respectively.
While observing that the New Year marks 24 years of uninterrupted democratic process in Nigeria, the Director General urged all Nigerians to exercise their rights to democratically elect new president, legislators and governors amongst others.
“MINILS is excited and optimistic that INEC will conduct free and fair 2023 and improve on past electoral processes,” said Aremu, who added: “With almost 90 million registered voters, 18 political parties and 176,846 Polling Units, Nigeria remains the largest democracy destination in Africa.”
Aremu stated that regardless of the current challenges, “democratic Nigeria, has delivered more development and legitimised freedom of choice of leaders.”
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his statesmanship in making sure votes counted in free atmosphere in Ekiti and Osun states recently adding that “under his tested and trusted leadership, it can only certainly get better for Nigeria in 2023 with credible elections and outcomes that will improve on good governance and development.”
Aremu also disclosed that MINILS which was commissioned in 1983 by the late President Shehu Shagari would be 40 years in 2023.
The institute, he said was set to reflect on its sacred mandate of promoting labour education in the past four decades, adding that 2023 offers a platform for series of activities celebrating MINILS as a significant African labour market training and research institute at 40.
