In social and political mobilisation, the mood or body language of the people is very critical to assess, and understand whether the people are prepared for a fight or not before drawing conclusion on the next line of action. It will be suicidal for any mass group to wage any kind of war without the large percentage of the masses solidly behind that struggle. That is tantamount to colossal failure on arrival, and that has happened in this recent protest called by the Labour union, it failed. No doubt, when the recent pump hike was announced by the Federal Government, Nigerians groaned in anger, disappointment but, obviously not ready for a fight (strike, protest).
If the Labour unions had a listening ear, a social scientific meter to gauge the people, perhaps they ought to have understood that Nigerians have lost faith in the Labour union. It was because the Labour union and its Civil Society groups failed to do its homework very well, they did not do a thorough analysis of the situation on ground to understand the mood of the people. No wide consultation, sensitization was embarked before declaring for a strike that the people are supposed to be fully part of. It is the peoples fight hence; the people must be encouraged, allowed to take charge.
The division in the Nigerian Labour Congress was enough for them to have realized that there could be a problem in agreeing for a common position. A house that is not together, cannot work together. It was necessary for Labour to have re-organized, sorted out their differences and be united in one body before any mass action could be called. The last delegates’ convention that held an election in the Nigerian Labour Congress produced two factional executives that had till date worked independently of its own.
Again, State and Local Government workers are owed salaries for months by their various Governors, and we see these Governors travelling outside the country for jamboree. Why has Labour not challenged these state executives? The Labour unions were here when former governors Bola Tinubu of Lagos, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Bukola Saraki of Kwara and others signed into law large sums of money for their allowance and that of their deputies while the state bleeds. It is all these expenses that depletes the state accounts and makes it difficult for the states to pay workers salaries and pensions.
In the past and till date, labour unions rely on the civil society groups for wider mobilization of the masses for effective actions. But, at every juncture, the Labour union will secretly dialogue with government and opt out without carrying the civil society along. There was never a struggle that the Labour unions sustained to the end, it was always one where the people are brought out and left at the middle of the road. It was in one of such protests in 2005 that we lost our very own, chief mobiliser, official spokesperson, Chima Ubani. Today, the Labour union and its former president, Adams Oshiomhole, who is now the Governor of Edo State has forgotten the family of Chima.
Some weeks ago, Nigerians were buying motor spirit for as much as N350, what did the Labour unions do? There was scarcity of the product, they kept quiet. There was no action from Labour to halt the pains people went through. They made no serious move to challenge the government, independent marketers or cabals in the system. There was no solution from Labour to the government on the petroleum crisis. No some kind of palliatives from Labour to help cushion the effects, pains from such hardship thereby aligning themselves with the people.
Nigerian parents pay highly to educate their children, whether in a nursery, elementary, secondary or tertiary, it is same story of high, exorbitant and ridiculous fees everywhere. Had our Labour complained, protested, forced government to do something positive on this anomaly in the education system, then we might have a reduced work load on parents. Virtually, every tertiary institution in the last two years has increased its fees to high heavens with no Labour union coming to the rescue of the students so, why will any reasonable student body mobilize its students for mass action called by Labour union?
Lest I forget, what business venture has labour ventured into? What is Labour’s contribution to the economy? The labour bus they tried to manage collapsed, what happened to that project? This is also a pointer that they have failed the people of Nigeria, that they are incapable of running any business efficiently and effectively. Aha! What about their political party, Labour Party? What happened to it? Where is it today? Did their former president, Adams Oshiomhole, not abandon the party?
Our Labour unions must withdraw to its cocoon and do a surgical operation on its body to once again earn its respect and loyalty among Nigerians. They have as it is betrayed the trust the Nigerian people reposed in them. They do have internal crisis which they must speedy up to resolve. They must welcome criticisms to help the union body to be in form, for indeed they have lost relevance amongst the masses and it is a big problem they have at hand. They must run on their legs immediately and urgently with all humility to restore back their past glory. They still have chances of redeeming their shattered image if they are sincerely concerned.
Written by Uzodinma Nwaogbe.
