The Nigeria Labour Congress has said it will
mobilise Nigerians for nationwide protests to resist the plan by the Federal
Government to sell strategic assets under the guise of using the funds to be
generated to get the country out of recession.
The President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said the
consequences of the proposed sale of the strategic assets would be more
grievous if Nigerians did not stop the government from carrying out the policy.
He made the comment on Monday in Abuja while
inaugurating a think-tank of the NLC and the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, entrusted with the responsibility of leading the intellectual
engagement with the Federal Government on the contentious move to sell the
country’s assets.
According to him, the NLC
is making preparations to battle the Federal Government in courts to prevent
the planned sale of the assets, explaining that the congress had secured the
services of 20 volunteer lawyers, who had offered their services to the NLC on
the issue.
The members of the 10-man
NLC’s ‘Think-Tank on Socio-Economic Issues’ are a former President of ASUU, Dr.
Dipo Fashina; Prof. Toye Olorode, Dr. Mohammed Aliyu, Dr. Mustapha Usman and
Dr. Isaac Nwogugu.
Other members of the
committee are Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose, Mr. Issa Aremu, Mr. Sonny Atuma, Dr. Peter
Ozo-Eson, and Mr. Auwal Mustapha, who is the secretary.
Wabba stated, “While it is
important to rescue our country from the current economic recession, sale of
our commonwealth and strategic assets is certainly not a move in the right
direction, and all Nigerians must have the courage to oppose it.
“All the (national) assets
are under threat depending on the interest of who is speaking; the NLNG,
refineries, all the assets are presently under threat. If we work together,
then we can try to defend these assets. It will take the effort of all of us to
stop them.
“Nobody will buy what is
not profitable. That is why people are looking in the direction of the most
profitable.”
Wabba stressed that the
problem with Nigeria was corruption, which had become endemic in both the
private and public sectors, and not the economic model to use.
The NLC president believed
that politicians, who stole so much money and had been hiding the loot, were
looking for ways to buy the assets with their looted funds.
Wabba assured Nigerians
that organised labour was united in the quest to preserve the nation’s
strategic assets for Nigerians and future generations.
“We are sure of ourselves;
this is of concern to every citizen. We should not allow the bidding of those
few who don’t mean well for the country. On the issue of selling out, we are on
the same page, we will do everything possible to try to work together.
“We shouldn’t be
discouraged because of the fact that we envisage sabotage or an effort to
undermine the struggle. In every struggle, there would be moves to sabotage
such,” he added.
Punch
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