NLC Faces Leadership Crisis

The Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour. Congress , Mr. Owei Lakemfa, has been relieved of his position due to the dimension with which the leadership tussle in the NLC has taken at the moment. It was gathered that Mr. Chris Uyot was appointed to replace Lakemfa. Uyot is the current head of Media of the Congress and is to resume work as the new Secretary of the congress in June. Daily post learnt that Lakemfa ran into trouble with other members of the congress due to his rigid position during the Subsidy saga, as he was not easily influenced by the NLC leadership and the former NLC leaders who were asked to intervene in the matter. . Since then several attempts have been made to get him removed from the office. The death of the former private Secretary to the Edo state governor, Mr. Oyerinde Olaitan was what saved Lakemfa from being removed in May since the person who was billed to
take over from him was killed. The crisis took a different turn on May 13th when Lakemfa raised an alarm that Nigerian leaders were set to divide NLC for its interest. This, he said was by creating a parallel labour centre and to reduce the power of the congress as carefully sponsored by some top government officials. The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, has however denied knowledge of the development, saying he was not aware of any move to divide the Congress. Meanwhile, the Integrity Group issued a statement calling on a new NLC and indicating that the present NLC cannot be trusted. However, the Nigeria Labour Congress on Saturday reiterated its position on the new electricity tariff billed to take off in June. It charges its members to remain resolute on issues that will negatively affect the public especially the Downstream sector. The statement read in part, “It (NLC) also resolved to oppose any increase in energy tariff without improved power supply, while it calls on all affiliate unions to continue the demand for a holistic restructuring of the downstream petroleum sector through building of the new refineries and self sufficiency in products supply. “The NLC salutes Mr. President’s directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute all those found culpable in the recent report of the House of Representatives on the probe of the oil subsidy regime in the country.” “The assurance by Mr. President that there will be no sacred cows in the investigation and prosecution of the corruption in the downstream sector of the oil industry is laudable and deserves commendation. “The Nigeria labour movement and indeed all Nigerians, look forward to a thorough and diligent prosecution by the Attorney-General and the security agencies in order to disabuse the minds of the watching public and to ensure that the process is not a hollow ritual. “We urge the President to ignore advisers that are determined to set him on an unnecessary collision course with the people over policies that undermine prosperity and worsen the country’s poverty level. “Any attempt to contemplate fuel price increase when those who looted the subsidy fund walk around as untouchables will be contemptuous of the people and an invitation to anarchy.”