THE TWO-DAY warning strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which commenced on Tuesday grounded many government ministries, departments and agencies in Abuja as offices were shut in solidarity with the nationwide industrial action.
The Federal Secretariat on Tuesday morning as well as other agencies in the city were observed to have been deserted as workers decided to stay back home, just as commercial banks located in major areas of the metropolis surveyed were also under lock and key.
The NLC had during its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held last Thursday resolved to embark on the warning strike as a signal to the Tinubu-led federal government that the total withdrawal of subsidy on petrol was negatively impacting on the conditions of workers and working people in Nigeria.
The NLC and its allies in the civil society had on August 2, 2023 held a nationwide one-day protest which grounded activities in major cities across the country.
The NLC in the communiqué of last Thursday’s NEC meeting held in Abuja following a public symposium also listed other popular actions if the warning strike failed to attract positive response from the Tinubu government to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.
The communiqué, signed by the President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, highlighted the federal government’s failure to address the prevailing suffering and its disregard for engaging with national stakeholders through social dialogue.
Other popular actions line up as response to increased hardship occasioned by the anti-people policies of the Tinubu government include a total and indefinite shutdown of the nation within 14 to 21 working days until the government addresses mass suffering in the country; a mass protest and rally in Imo State about the Imo State governments’ interference in trade union affairs and workers’ rights; shutting down of the operations of Air Peace Airline and other aviation sector companies involved in labour rights violations and demand that the new Minister of the Federal Capital Territory should to focus on providing housing rather than threatening demolition, amongst others.
The symposium which preceded the NEC meeting featured discussions on the dire state of Nigeria’s economy and the urgent need for change.
Former General Secretary of the NLC, Prof. Peter Ozo-Eson, delivered the keynote address, setting the tone for the symposium. He expressed deep concern about the deteriorating healthcare and education sectors in Nigeria, stating that “Education is collapsed. It has been so commercialized, and the rich realized that they can make a profit off you by establishing their own educational institutions while running down the public-school system. The greatest demonstration of this is our tertiary education – universities. It wasn’t accidental that the policy of private universities was nurtured and speedily implemented, and suddenly every member of that class owns one.”
Moreover, he called for a radical shift in Nigeria’s economic system, declaring: “We have to tear down Capitalism.” Prof. Ozo-Eson urged the NLC to take the lead in forming a progressive left party to champion the interests of the working class.
Femi Falana, prominent activist and human rights lawyer, who served as a panelist at the symposium, urged the NLC to prepare for a confrontation with Nigeria’s “peripheral capitalism.”
He proposed specific tasks for the leadership of NLC, which include monitoring the rehabilitation of refineries and advocating for the government to purchase refineries abroad for assembly in Nigeria. he proposed this as a strategy to maximise profits from Nigeria’s abundant oil resources.
Falana also called out oil companies, identifying Shell as a key culprit in oil theft, citing Tompolo’s discovery of a pipeline stealing 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day for nine years, which allegedly belonged to Shell. He emphasized that 370 wealthy individuals owe Nigeria a staggering 5.4 trillion naira, in line with the theme of the event.
Another panelist, Journalist Sam Amadi, raised concerns about the financialisation of Nigeria’s economy. He defended subsidies, stating: “Subsidy is not bad in itself. What’s bad is an inefficiently administered subsidy.”
He emphasised the importance of regulation over privatisation to address economic challenges. He called on the NLC to create a social movement involving workers, students, and communities, advocating for sustained efforts rather than episodic interventions.
Dr Dahiru, also a panelist, painted a stark picture of Nigeria’s poverty, saying: “You don’t need statistics to see the poverty in Nigeria. You just have to look around you and you’ll see it roaming around you.” He criticised privatisation and emphasised the need for state involvement in the economy, aligning with Amadi’s stance.
The panel discussion, moderated by Seun Okinbaloye, was intended as a closed-door meeting, and questions from the audience were not entertained. It was meant to precede a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the NLC.
According to a communiqué of the closed-door NEC meeting held afterward, the NEC of the NLC acknowledged that there is extensive hardships and suffering afflicting Nigerian citizens.
