Oshiomhole Urges Wabba to Provide Dynamic Leadership

The Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has urged the new president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, to provide a focused and dynamic leadership for the labour movement.
Oshiomhole made the remark in a congratulatory letter addressed to the new NLC President.
His comment is not unconnected with the negative criticisms that trailed the administration of the immediate past President of the Congress, Comrade Abdulwahab Omar, particularly the housing scandal that runs into hundreds of millions of naira.
He said: “It must be obvious to you by now, that the Nigeria Labour Movement, and in particular, the Congress has lost a significant amount of prestige and influence in the eyes of the Nigerian working people and the Nigerian public at large. The Nigerian people no longer see the Congress as the “voice of the voiceless” and a bulwark against socio-economic and political oppression and injustices in the polity. The Congress is essentially viewed as either being complicit or at best indifferent to the cries of the poor working class people and the middle class citizens who are daily at the receiving end of an unjust social order.
“It is against this background that your leadership must see its historic role beyond the “bread and butter’ issues, to re-assert its independence, re-connect with grassroots workers, including the forgotten rural majority and position itself as a major player in shaping Nigeria’s polity, economy and society consistent with the true traditions of the Congress and the interests of the Nigerian working families.”
Furthermore, Oshiomhole said: “There is no appropriate moment than now to also work assiduously to reposition the Congress and brace up to the expectations of the affiliates of the Congress and Nigerians as a whole, while also providing a focused and dynamic leadership that will chart a new course for the Nigerian labour movement as vanguard in the struggle for good governance, democratic consolidation and social justice.
“Concomitantly, there is also the challenge of re-uniting and rebuilding confidence amongst all the affiliates of the Congress n the spirit of unity and solidarity that the Nigerian Labour Movement shares. In the same vein, there is also the important task of deepening the strategic connection between the Congress and the Nigerian civil society.
“It is also crucial that we all recognise the urgent need to lift the Congress above the divisive and primordial differences now surreptitiously creeping into the Congress, and restore the pre-eminent position of the Congress as the foremost pan-Nigerian institution it has always been, capable of uniting all Nigerians around critical issues of development and good governance, irrespective of their religious, ethnic or regional background.
The former NLC president also appealed to those who feel aggrieved by the outcome of the Congress election to resist the temptation of convening a factional congress, just as he asked them to sheathe their swords and extend a hand of fellowship to the new president to help reposition the Congress.
“Let me seize this opportunity to appeal to my Comrades, in particular, Comrades Joe Ajaero, Issa Aremu and Igwe Achese to resist the temptation of convening a factional congress either on Friday or at any other date.