NLC’s 11th delegates’ conference

The conference theme is “The Working Class and the Challenges of National Security and Democratic Development.” The historic conference attracts as many as 3119 delegates from 43 affiliate industrial unions made up of estimated 6-million organized work-force making NLC the largest labour centre in Africa followed by  Egypt (after  Arab springs which allowed for independent […]

The conference theme is “The Working Class and the Challenges of National Security and Democratic Development.” The historic conference attracts as many as 3119 delegates from 43 affiliate industrial unions made up of estimated 6-million organized work-force making NLC the largest labour centre in Africa followed by  Egypt (after  Arab springs which allowed for independent free unions). In attendance would be notable living veteran unionists such as the founding and past NLC Presidents, 72 year old Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu (1978-1984), 82- year old Alhaji Ali Chiroma (1984-1988) and Comrade Adams Oshimhole, (1999-2007); Late Comrade Paschal Bafyau, President NLC (December 1998-1994).
Scores of representatives of fraternal global unions that include Ghana Trade Union Congress (Ghana TUC), Congress of Southern Africa Trade Unions (COSATU), Organisation of Africa Trade Unions Unity (OATUU), International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) are expected to attend the historic conference to be declared open by President Goodluck Jonathan. Of the previous 10 Delegates’ conferences from 1978 to 2011, three conferences were special confabs. ‘Special’ to the extent that, they were fall-outs of military disruption of independent and autonomous democratic union process; 1977/78 (Murtala/Obasanjo military regime), 1988 (IBB regime) and 1999 (AbdulSalami regime), following Abacha’s dissolution of the NLC executive in 1994. NLC cumulatively could be said to have been suffocated under the heel of military administrators for almost a decade 10 years (the highest being under the Abacha dictatorship). Nigeria however had a longer spell of military misrule spanning over two decades.  Against this background of shared history of military dictatorships with the country as a whole, NLC 11th  delegates’ conference taking place on the eve of a democratic transition assumes a special importance. A successful conclusion of NLC 11th conference raises, once again, greater hope of democratic process in Nigeria and indeed Africa as a whole. Nigeria and (indeed Africa) has produced strong institutions one of which is the NLC.
Precisely because yours comradely is involved, I hereby salute all my comrades, veterans and fraternal brothers and sisters in the struggle for the defence of workers’ and trade union rights.  This conference like the past successful ones must be made historic and remarkable. It should be  independently successfully and peacefully organised and once again show that labour is capable of organizing and even show example to Nigeria as a whole in democratic transition. The highpoints of the conference are two-fold. One, there will be a comprehensive review of the activities of the Congress in the past four years with respect to work place issues, wages, pensions, health and safety, security and jobs, gender issues  and international labour activities among others. Agenda will also be set for the next four years in the struggle for the uplift of the working and living conditions of the working men and women, to which there will be a robust debate of motions and policy ideas.  Secondly there will be elections to produce a President, 3 Deputy Presidents, 5 Vice Presidents, Treasurer, National Financial Secretary, Trustee, internal auditors among others.
NLC Constitution provides time limit for TWO (2) critical issues in relation to the Delegates Conference namely cut-off date for dues payment for the purposes of computation of delegates (Article 6) which states inter alia “The General Secretary of the Congress shall inform each affiliate Industrial Union of the number of delegates to which it is entitled, as determined by the Finance Committee, provided that its dues have been fully paid up on or before the cut-off date which shall be three months before the Congress-in-Session unless the National Executive Council decides otherwise and 11) Nomination for Election of National Officers of the Congress (Article 29(1) “Nomination for election of National Officers of the Congress shall be endorsed and forwarded by the President and General Secretary (or any other authorised officers) of the affiliated union from where the candidate emerges. Curriculum Vitae of nominees shall be submitted to the General Secretary of the Congress at least 5 weeks before the forthcoming Congress-in-session. Every such nomination shall be seconded by another member union.”
Article 29(4) further mandates the Credential Committee of the Conference to “meet within 24 hours after the close of nominations to receive and authenticate all documents pertaining to filing of nominations and delegates to the conference”.  The Constitution further mandates the Credential Committee to “within 48 hours cause the names of all duly nominated contestants to the Congress-in-Session to be published in of Tuesday 6th January, 2015.
Raising the issue of re-opening nominations for elective offices during the election besides being unconstitutional could lead to chaos of unimaginable proportions and capable of undermining the Delegates Conference. The List of Contestants duly cleared for NLC Delegates Conference Elections released by the Conference Credentials Committee is the appropriate and only list of contestants for elective offices for NLC Delegates Conference Elections at the 11th Delegates Conference of NLC. Article 29 (2) and (3) provided circumstances in which the provision of Article (29) (1) could be set aside namely; Article 29 (2) – Should a nominee die before the election, his/her nominator/affiliated union shall reserve the right to re-nominate, regardless of anything in this article. Thank God no nominee had died.  Of course Article 3(iii) of NLC Constitution mandates the Congress-in-Session to interpret the provisions of the Constitution. Certainly this provision is not intended to create confusion or disorder. It is a general provision which cannot override specific provisions as contained in Articles 29 of the Constitution. Happy conference comrades! Forward ever, backward never!