Circular banning Nigerian workers from joining politics null and void – Falana, Jega
Human Rights Lawyer and Activists, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, has said that every Nigerian or African is entitled to participate in the politics of his or her country either directly or indirectly; therefore, any circular for Nigerian workers not to join politics is null and void.
Falana stated this on Wednesday during the 2022 Workers Political Conference organized by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), held at NAF Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja.
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The conference with the theme: “Commitment to National Emancipation and Development Through Effective Political Engagement by Nigerian Workers”, was held to revitalize the Labour Party which was allegedly hijacked by money bags, in order to revamp the nation.
When asked what the practical solution to reclaiming the Labour Party and the action plan by the NLC to achieve that, Falana said that the Party cannot be resolved in court but on the streets and the workers’ political conference is a starting point “to tell the whole world that Nigerian workers have come and this is our time. This is the beginning of the struggle for the total emancipation of the Nigerian people”.
He stated that by virtue of Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution every Nigerian is entitled to form or join a political party also to protect his or her interest. Therefore, labour leaders are going to re-organise the Labour Party to mobilize all Nigerian workers to participate actively in the politics of the country.
Falana called on all and sundry in Nigeria to take their political destiny into their hands since the country is on the verge of collapse.
Also, the Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, called on Nigerians particularly Labour to rise for the emancipation of the country from what he described as the devilish alliance of exploiters ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Prof. Jega, who was speaking at the 2022 Workers’ Political Conference, said the 2023 general elections may be the make-or-break epoch moment for Nigeria and all hands must be on deck to prevent the country from imminent collapse.
Jega, who chaired the conference said the issue of national emancipation for credible national development, which is beneficial to the Nigerian people, requires being raised higher on the front burner of national discourse by patriotic Nigerians. Professor Jega urged the citizens to get involved in broad political engagements towards improving the leadership recruitment process to elect good and popular representatives in governance and by so doing catalyze good democratic governance.
“The sorry state of economic conditions under which Nigerian working people and indeed the overwhelming majority of Nigerian citizens live and work, the reckless misrule and misgovernance by a tiny rabid, reckless band of elite and collaborators, and the manner by which these may have picked the so-called elected, so-called leaders and their collaborators, have devastated the Nigerian economy, heightened insecurity and virtually destroyed the basis for national cohesion and integration,” he said.
“Nigeria is crying for a rescue mission before it is too late. Comrades, such a rescue mission cannot be serious, positive, and successful without the active engagement and involvement of the Nigerian workers through their genuine representatives in working-class organisations.
“As the country prepares for the 2023 general elections, Nigerian citizens generally and the working class, in particular, can either continue to play the Ostrich on the current trajectory or reckless, senseless, visionless journey towards democratic and social-economic development and allow the country free fall into imminent self-destruction which clearly insight or they have to wake up, rise and join hands in solidarity for struggles and active engagement in the political process towards national emancipation, from what I call the devilish alliance of exploiters, both internal and external.”
On his part, the President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, lamented that the country had never been like this since democracy returned in 1999, saying the polity is already being overheated ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He said, “To say that Nigeria is at political crossroads would not be a statement of alarm. It would be a factual construction of our reality. With 2023 in view, there is a lot of politicking, intrigues and subterfuge in the political space. Every indication shows that the polity is once again being overheated.
“Sadly, as it has become the norm with our cycle of broken politics, the polity is not being heated with questions and answers on how the current political mandate has been used by political officeholders.
“The polity is not being overheated with concerns on how the current ruling elites have honoured the socio-economic rights of Nigerians in Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution.
“The polity is not being overheated with new ideas of how politicians can meet the expectations of Nigerians who want constant power to power their potentials, motorable roads, adequate security that will keep us from always looking over our shoulders and living wages that will offer workers a chance at a decent living.
“Our country has not always been like this. During the quest for our national independence, the wheel of our collective liberation from the grips of the colonial masters did not turn until the muscles of Nigerian workers were applied.
“The June 1945 nationwide strike action created the big momentum that finally caught the attention of the British colonialists that Nigerians were ready to take their own destiny into their own hands. And what was the fulcrum of our agitation for independence? It was the demand for equality, decent work, and social justice.”
Watch a video of NLC workers chanting solidarity songs at the conference below:
