‘The value system in Nigeria has been bastardised’

What are your expectations for the NLC delegate conference which is almost at the corner?With proper preparation, this convention will be rancour free and that is the prayer and dream of every worker. At least we should be seen to be doing things differently from the politicians because it is all about service to the […]

What are your expectations for the NLC delegate conference which is almost at the corner?
With proper preparation, this convention will be rancour free and that is the prayer and dream of every worker. At least we should be seen to be doing things differently from the politicians because it is all about service to the workers.
We don’t behave as if there is something to earn there. It is not like where you get constituency allowance. If it must be clearly service to workers, we shouldn’t be seen fighting over it.

Looking back four years since the last delegate conference, what are the achievements of the current leadership?
We have achieved a lot, given the time and circumstances. Basically, the issue of minimum wage which was moved to 18, 000 naira was achieved during this present leadership. Don’t forget that the NLC is just like a club where members can join.  The basic achievements are by the individual unions. NLC is just an umbrella union; if in my union I am looking for something and I can’t get it, the tendency is for me to go to NLC as a father to now assist. During this period, most unions have had landmark achievements. So, if you collate the more that 40 affiliates unions of the NLC, you will see that it is the labour movement.
In most instance, it is only when they couldn’t conclude an issue that they need the father figure of the NLC, it is on such rare cases and on national issues like minimum wages that they run to NLC.

Many Nigerians believe that labour is not as vibrant as it used to be during the days of Adams Oshiomhole. What is your take on this?
Adams was a general secretary; he was a factory worker and later became a paid staff. So by the time he was coming up, he was already thorough bred. And he also served as deputy president to Pascal Bafyau; that is one. It won’t be like somebody that just became general secretary yesterday. The issue of mentoring is very important. If you bring the comrade Ejiofors (veteran unionist) of this world, if they talk, you know that they are spitting unionism. So if you are lucky to have worked with such people, you become really grounded.

So, it is all about ideology
There is a problem which is societal. Before now, you can’t serve as a unionist without being ideological. Those ideologies guide you as principle. You can’t go there to look for money or to cheapen yourself. It is just the defence of workers. I am also amongst the cadre that moved in from student unionism and were recruited into union politics. That was the process of recruitment then.
But even if you are to replicate it, is it the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) we are seeing, is it the kind of NANS that will engage IBB or the military? Even the place you are going to recruit from, what is left of it? So that is a societal problem. And everything that is happening in the society has the tendency to reflect in other sectors, whether it is in labour or academic. I think the society has a lot of influence on that.

What are the major factors hindering workers from partaking in active politics?
First and foremost, the problem is the monetization of politics in Nigeria. If you work for 35 years, and you have four kids and dependent relatives, no matter your salary, it will be difficult for you to save enough to buy a ticket or a nomination form of any party.
You may have the best idea, but when it comes to that, you discover that you can’t make it. Unless probably while working, you were fortunate to have made money either by combining your work with other things, but the end product is that you need to still go to godfathers. And if you are somebody that runs a policy that is based on principle and you don’t want to be controlled by god fathers, it will equally be difficult for you to go and succumb to godfathers.
There are lots of factors hindering the workers to participate in politics. But if it is just belonging to political a party, that is different, but seeking for elective offices, you can’t fund it. Elections have been commercialized in the country that it is almost beginning to go become a no go area.

How do you curb commercialisation of politics in Nigeria?
Solution might not be short in sight because there is so much poverty and there is nothing anybody can do about it. Most people feel that even if it is N1000, it is their share without knowing that they are mortgaging their future. The value system in Nigeria has been bastardized. If you are a graduate in Nigeria for four, five years and you don’t have a job, people look down on you. The crave for money is becoming the in thing. In those days, people were afraid to steal so as not to dent their family reputation, but these days, people steal so much and they give you chieftaincy title. Until we remove this attachment on money, we are going to find it difficult. It is a societal problem. To correct this, we have to go back to our schools, from when children are getting into primary school; it has to be a gradual process.

Are you contesting for president of NLC in the next delegate conference?
There is only one position I have not occupied as a unionist and that position is the position of president of NLC. At the union level, I have reached the point of no promotion as general secretary and at the NLC I am a deputy national president. Unless maybe I am lame, deaf and dumb that I will say I am not interested. Naturally, I should be interested.

What difference would you make as president of the NLC?
We are going to work. We are going to reintegrate with our allies. We are not going to depend on the trade unions alone. We are going to move with the labour movement and labour movement encompasses the civil society, lecturers, market women, students and so on.
If we capture that group, then we can say we are the people. And we will move based on what our people say we should do. We are going to dine and weep with our people, especially the workers. The issue of multinationals just waking up and sacking indiscriminately will not be tolerated. We are going to bring back the dignity of the worker. I cannot betray the Nigerian workers. That is one thing even my critics will tell you; that my commitment to the Nigerian worker is not in doubt and it will not change.