THE Nigeria Congress (NLC) on Sunday warned the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen Chris Ngige, that as a public officer, he would not commit an offence or steal public money and hide under the ethnic or religious banner for protection.
The Congress was reacting to a statement credited to the FCT Chairman of Ohanez, Odozi Nwodozi, who tried desperately to defend the actions of the minister, over the issue surrounding the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), and the last minutes’ removal of Chief Frank Kokori, as the chairman of the board.
The NLC, in a statement signed by the General Secretary, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, described the Ohaneze FCT as a hired voice, trying to give ethnic colouration to a serious national issue.
“As sad as this new low by the Minister and his hired voice is, we must remind the Minister that gone are the days when a public officer will commit an offence or steal public money and then hide under the ethnic or religious banner for protection,” Ozo-Eson said
He said facts of what has transpired between Nigerian workers and the Minister of Labour are in the public domain, adding, “the issue at stake does not have any tinge of ethnic or religious colouration. We are, therefore, surprised at the recent borrowing of ethnic voices in the defence of the Minister of Labour and Employment.”
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According to him, “the Nigeria Labour Congress is a pan Nigerian organisation with a reputation for conducting itself dispassionately and for speaking truth to power. The NLC is populated by workers from all religious and ethnic orientations and can never play the sectarian or ethnic card.
“The decision to engage the Minister of Labour was taken at the recently held NLC’s 12th National Delegates Conference – the highest decision-making body of Congress. This was after all efforts including quiet persuasions from the NLC, the advice of the national leadership of the political party to which Dr Ngige belongs and even a straightforward directive by Mr President himself failed to make the Minister of Labour see reasons and do the needful.”
He reminded the minister that this was not the first time the Organized Labour is engaging less than altruistic Labour Ministers, citing several occasions which include when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole engaged very robustly a former Minister of Labour, Chief Alabo Tonye Graham Douglas over some of the latter’s anti-labour positions despite the fact that they are from the same geopolitical zone.
Therefore, the NLC scribe said: “We urge the Minister of Labour and Employment to redeem whatever is left of his image by inaugurating the NSITF board under the chairmanship of Chief Frank Kokori without further delay.
“For the benefit of Nigerians who are unaware of the intrigues of the Minister of Labour to keep the NSITF under his Sole Proprietorship, we challenge him and other stakeholders to an electronic media debate on this matter so that the truth can be exposed.”
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