Labour tasks ECOWAS on inequality gap in region

By Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

The organised labour yesterday called on the ECOWAS to rise up to their responsibility by addressing the widening gap between the rich and the poor, which according to them has reached a crisis level.

Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Eustace James, made the call following the OXFAM report on states commitments to inequality in six ECOWAS states which was released on Wednesday in Abuja.

James, appealed to the commission to prevail on its member states to show commitment towards reducing the inequality in the region, adding that if necessary steps are not taken to address the issue now, it will likely lead to more crisis which will put the region in jeopardy.

“This report was unveiled yesterday here in Abuja and as citizens of ECOWAS as well as one of the states which the report covers, we felt it was necessary to come to the commission to present the recommendations of the report to the commission and expect the commission to act accordingly by transmitting it to member states, and also implore them to be committed to reducing inequality in the region.

“The report has looked at the various inequality indexes and the state commitment. One obvious fact is that inequality in ECOWAS has reached a crisis level. It is time for us to take action.

“We must be committed both as citizens and as governments to reducing the inequality because if not checked now, more crises may arise and then we will be in jeopardy,” he said

Similarly, a co-author of the report and lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Godfred Bokpin, noted that inequality in the region is a threat to social cohesion as well as national security both for the rich and the poor.

While noting that the inequality is not preordained, but as a result of deliberate policy choices of African leaders, Prof. Bokpin said that the only way to address such abnormality is to create a tax system that is progressive so that rich individuals as well as multinational companies would contribute more to the revenue envelop of the government other than the current tax system operated which puts all the tax burden on the poor.

“Inequality is in crisis stage in Nigeria and the entire West Africa. It is a threat to social cohesion, national security both for the rich and the poor. Inequality is not preordained; they came as a result of deliberate policy choices.

“We are not pitching the poor against the rich. The essence of this report is to create awareness because inequality is a threat both to the security of the rich and the poor. We want to foster social cohesion where the rich and the poor can live together in a society that is just, fair and sustainable,” he added.