A former chairman of the Unbiased Electoral Payment (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, has warned Nigerian workers that the time of narrowly believing that their pursuits can solely be superior by collective bargaining whereas they maintain aloof and allow “ruffians and crooks occupy and dominate the political and governance areas by manipulation of the electoral course of” was over.
Jega who chaired Commerce Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Political Roundtable event held in Abuja on Thursday, March 10, 2022, talked about this in his opening remarks.
The earlier INEC boss well-known that the Nigerian state appeared an increasing number of incapable of discharging the roles and duties traditionally anticipated of a recent nation-state, due to this fact the need for labour unions whose numbers had been in tens of thousands and thousands, to affix forces to participate inside the elections and determine who dominated Nigeria.
“Participatory enchancment and good governance are important points for advancing the pursuits and aspirations of residents in a country. Most residents are workers, in a single form or one different, even when not all residents are workers. Subsequently, workers participation inside the enchancment of their nation, significantly in bringing about good governance, by which meeting their elementary needs and aspirations is enhanced, is vital and interesting,” Jega talked about.
“It’s attributable to this reality the obligation of organised labour, in commerce unions or totally different associations and actions, to promote energetic workers participation not merely in collective bargaining for slender monetary, or economistic, pursuits, however as well as in broader problems with enchancment, significantly energetic, centered, resilient and enlightened participation inside the electoral course of for the selection or election of individuals that will have the nice character, patriotism and selflessness, amongst totally different points, to nurture and entrench good democratic governance, and direct public and governmental affairs correctly, whether or not or not at diploma of native authorities, the state, or the federation, to the satisfaction of workers and all totally different residents.
“Perhaps in no totally different nation on the earth as we converse, is that this obligation of organised labour further essential and interesting than in Nigeria in its present circumstances. Nigeria could also be very badly dominated and, sadly, it has been so for a very very very long time. In type participation of residents of their nation’s affairs and governance processes has under no circumstances been as good precisely; and in the mean time, it’s even declining, if we take into accounts the massively declining figures of voter turnout in elections.
“All the indices of harmful governance are starkly evident: from the fraudulent strategies and means by which conceited elite impose themselves as ‘elected’ ‘leaders’ in governance; to the reckless, self- serving, corrupt, exclusionary, visionless, parochial and unpatriotic disposition and methodology they’ve been ‘governing’. Definitely, on nearly all of the worldwide indices used to measure, charge and rank nations just about socio-economic enchancment, addressing poverty, advancing human security, good governance and democratic enchancment, Nigeria is ranked lowly and poorly, if not despicably given its large potentials in human and supplies sources.
“As a consequence of all these, is there any marvel that the Nigerian state is displaying an increasing number of incapable of discharging the roles and duties traditionally anticipated of a recent nation-state? Definitely, is there any marvel that some analysts are audaciously claiming that “Nigeria has collapsed”, or that a couple of of us who’re cautiously optimistic, are saying that “whereas Nigeria has not utterly collapsed, proof is there that it’s collapsing, and efforts must be made urgently to cease it from collapsing?”
“Throughout the present circumstances in Nigeria, there isn’t any such factor as a better method for the organised labour to strategically advance the collective pursuits of the working people of Nigeria, than to affix forces with totally different patriotic forces and actively interact with politics and governance, and significantly the electoral course of, to make it possible for the governance course of and positively the best way ahead for Nigeria is rescued from the reckless elite who’re greedily and blindly undermining the socio-economic and democratic enchancment of our nation; who’re truly getting the nation grounded and, as a result of it had been, leaving the remaining the residents extreme and dry.
“In addition to, organised labour has to forge unity among the many many commerce unions and labour actions inside the nation significantly to encourage and encourage Nigerian workers to register to vote, then turnout to vote, and ultimately vote only for occasions/candidates of high quality character who sincerely determine to promoting, advancing, defending, and implementing a Nigerian Workers Structure of demand when elected.”
2023: Nigerian Workers Must Vote Massively Against Bad leaders Plaguing Country’s Development – Ex-INEC Chairman, Jega
