NLC: Kaduna State Government Should Thread With Caution -By Ebere Chuks Onuedem

It is with utter displeasure that we, the lovers of democracy and human rights preservation, are receiving the unfortunate imbroglio unveiling in Kaduna state. It leaves us asking serious questions on constitutional/labour rights sustainability in Nigeria. Particularly disturbing is the unfortunate and ill-advised ‘wanted notice’ placed on the NLC chairman, comrade Ayuba Wabba and his co NLC EXCOs by the Kaduna state government, under the leadership of Nasir El Rufai. I must say without mincing words that it is quite unbecoming and totally unacceptable of the state to declare a national labour leader wanted, simply for carrying out his legal responsibility and living up to the expectations of the people he leads. It is a great affront to not just Kaduna state labour force, but the entire Nigeria labour force and by extension, the international labour force!

It all began when the Kaduna state government announced the disengagement of no fewer than 4000 workers, the latest in its sacking spree. The state chapter of NLC, with support from its national leadership, responded by resolving to embark on a 5-day warning strike. Subsequently, the Kaduna state government, through its commissioner for local government affairs expressed displeasure with the planned industrial action. The commissioner had also justified the ‘rightsizing of workers’ by saying that the state cannot afford to ‘continue spending 84-96% of its federal allocations on salaries and personnel costs, due to its dwindling revenue’. Two days into the strike, accompanied by peaceful demonstrations, the state governor tweeted that the NLC national chairman and other national EXCOs had been declared wanted by the state government for ‘economic sabotage and attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act.’  Aside from the threat to clamp down on the NLC leadership, the Kaduna state government had also gone ahead to announce the sack of nurses below grade level 14, and lecturers in the state university who joined the strike. Also, a group of armed hoodlums, suspected to be ‘clandestine foot soldiers’ of the state government launched a fierce attack on the protesting workers yesterday.

I must say, at this point, that all Cmrd Ayuba Wabba has done with regards to the Kaduna state labour issues are within his powers/ jurisdiction as the national labour leader. He is vested with the power to mobilize labour bodies to negotiations, protests/demonstrations and outright downing of tools (industrial action). These responsibilities of the NLC chairman is well backed up by law and guaranteed both in the nations labour law and the international labour law. The constitution of Nigeria also grants the Kaduna state workers and indeed every Nigerian citizen the right to freedom of association and expression, as provided for in session 39(1). Also, session 40 states that; ‘Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade unions or any association for the protection of his interests.’

One of the reasons given by the Kaduna state government for the infamous ‘arrest threat’, is that NLC leadership engaged in activities that caused economic sabotage to the state. So I ask the Kaduna state government, what is the aim of industrial actions originally? Industrial action is globally known as the last option tool used by labour unions to further drive home their demands; its consequence is usually severe. And that is why industrial action only comes to play when other alternate options have failed. I believe that before labour resulted to the ‘5-day strike’, they had already exhausted the other options without reaching a solution. Strike and protest is ideally the next line of action. And Kaduna state government’s unpopular attempt at muzzling them is only another sad development, a development that portends danger for our democratic system.

Also, if the Kaduna state government wants to downsize its workforce, there are ways to go about it. Due diligent consultations and dialogues with critical stakeholders is very necessary. Besides, I don’t think this is really the best time to lay off workers, considering the prevailing economic realities and the attendant hardship on the citizens. Rather, I think state governments should look inward on how to cut the costs of governance with no extra burden to the common man. Also, this is a time to brainstorm and come up with ideas to generate more revenue for the state governments, rather than over-dependence on FAAC receipts. Already, Kaduna state is one of the states in the country with the highest IGR…

Ebere Chuks O. is a social commentator.