Labour Versus Elrufai

It is noteworthy that there is an impending showdown between organized labour under the umbrella of the Comrade Ayuba Wabba led  Nigeria Labour Congress and the Governor of Kaduna state Mal. Nasir Elrufai. This will not be the first showdown as some years ago, labour led a protest against the government of Kaduna State over the sacking of workers.

The two sides of the divide need to prove a point on this standoff. First is the Executive Governor of Kaduna state who carries himself as a no-nonsense, strong, and courageous leader. This can be seen by the way and manner he carries his Urban Renewal policy. Those served with notice of demolition were not spared on the expiration of the notice. Whatever he declares he declares with finality and never publically back down. Recently, he publically declared that he will not negotiate with bandits or pay ransom. He has stayed that way despite the deliberate escalation of kidnapping in the state and the outcry from the fallout of his declaration. He sacked workers and reduced some traditional leaders with finality and stood his grounds. If anything, the governor is working hard to showcase the persona of a strong leader to the world. On this note, it will be an ego damaging blow for the governor to shift ground for labour. 

On the other hand, the NLC which is the largest labour center in Nigeria has over the years, under the leadership of Comrade Wabba has been perceived as a weak and compromised leader. The most current example is the Fuel and electricity tariff hike, which labour worked tirelessly mobilizing workers to kick against, only to step down at the last moment. Many opine that considering this antecedent, will it not be an exercise in futility even now. Will NLC not change gear at any time along the line? The NLC president should walk the talk and ensure that this is a decisive moment to show his strength to the labour force.

The situation in kaduna is worrisome and all workers must come together to ensure that workers are not treated with disdain at the pleasure of elected political officials. So far, the governor of Kaduna has treated labour as pariah bodies and as a nuisance that should be ignored. He has taken unilateral decisions on behalf of the workers in a way and manner that can best be described as inconsiderate. An example that comes to mind is the implementation of the new minimum wage. This was supposed to be a product of negotiating and collective bargaining, instead, it was unilaterally declared. This made the state NLC chairman describe it as slave wage. 

The governor will want the people to believe that his action is for the overall interest of the state and the infrastructural development of the state. The question to ask is this the only way to achieve that? What of the loan collected? What about the increase in internally generated revenue that the governor so talks about? Why will the civil service the ones to pay for everything for example Covid 19 support? This and many questions need to be answered. The major problem confronting Governor Elrufai as a governor is his lack of empathy and the lack of consideration about the human cost of his projects and the likely psychosocial impact of his actions in the near and far future. At a time when unemployment is skyrocketing one expects a politician to be worried and profer a lasting solution not compounding it. Business activities in kaduna are dwindling due to the uncertainty of the business environment. Just at the beginning of the tenure of the governor, the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Kaduna was relocated out of the state, with a resultant loss of revenue even if it Pay As You Earn (PAYE). So far apart from OLAM industries, what more was added with significant employment drive. Meanwhile, farmers can not freely farm and new farms can not be opened for fear of kidnapping. This is a blow to employment at even the subsistent level.

Organized labour must stand firm and be ready for an all-out campaign. They should be ready to mobilize and use all within them to bring this ugly trend to a stop. Kaduna state is the sample size if it works here, it can happen nationwide. No state and no trade union should fold their hands and think all is well. 

Aluta continua. 

sadanmori@gmail.com