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As I Was Saying Before The NLC Convention By Adewale Stephen The quadrennial NLC Convention that held in Abuja between March 1st and 3rd, 2011 might have come and gone but the legacy of the labors’ gathering will remain relevant for years to come. Having monitored the programme closely, I discovered that in the report that was presented to the delegates by the NEC, the NLC leadership aptly identified the problems of the country and also proffered what they felt would be a solution to the socio-economic and political crisis. The NEC pointed to the transformation currently taking place in the Arab world, where according to them has less percentage of youth underemployment rate compared to that of Nigeria. They, therefore, submitted that if such revolution could be taking place in these North African countries, then it is high time the working class took over the control of government here in Nigeria. They went a step further by admitting, maybe for the first time in years, that a working class political party is needed to achieve this. Hmm! This is wonderful. As beautiful as this submission sounded on paper, I wish to remind the NLC leadership that this proposition will never come to fruition without taking a concrete step towards the realization of this goal. As I perused through the NEC report, I realized that this is not the first time such a beautiful submission has appeared in the NEC report. What made it not to be executed in the time past has to do with the lack of commitment from the NLC leadership. Thus, this prompts me to write this article so as to re-echo what I feel should be the central focus of Comrade Abdul-Wahed Omar led NLC for the next four years. For many years now, ASUU and other trade unions have played significant roles in using their platforms to fight the oppression of the workers, poor farmers and all other oppressed strata of the society. But the reason why this has not succeeded in turning the table against the ruling class is majorly because of lack of consistency on the part of the Labor leadership which enables the ruling elites to hold on to the reign of power. To turn the tide against the ruling elites, therefore, a masses-oriented political party becomes imperative. A party that would seriously fight for a better life of the majority, and would seek to employ the resources of society for the benefit of the working masses, instead of the present arrangement of meeting the need and profit of a few. This explains the reason why Labour Party was established in 2004 by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and other forces in the first instance. Unfortunately, Labour Party can today be classified as the party that has been hijacked by highly anti-poor politicians. In a country like Nigeria which has over 50 million in both organized and unorganized working class labour force, then the Labour Party which the NLC helped form, has enormous capacity to become a fighting organ and political platform of workers and the downtrodden of our society. But the reverse is the case today. Labour Party has abandoned its established programmes, dumped its founding principles, and it appears to have become another favorable dumping ground for anti poor politicians that lost out of power game within their own parties. This is made possible by deliberate refusal of its founding father, that is, the NLC, to consciously popularize the party and mobilize workers, youths and poor masses to join it. Today, less than forty days to another General Election, the NLC ended its Convention without appositely putting forward on how it intends to salvage Labour Party. I am of the conviction that for the collective survival of the masses, NLC should remain committed to reclaiming Labour Party. The re-invigorated Labour Party must embrace a democratic working class programme. This will entail nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy like banking sector and oil sector and putting them under the democratic control of the working people themselves. This will ensure adequate mobilization of resources that will be committed to provision of social needs like education which is the livewire of a nation, health care, public electricity, integrated transport system, and meaningful economic development. Should this reclaiming effort fail, then NLC should resort to their second option which is to participate in the establishment of a new virile party of workers that the populace will be proud to identify with. The NEC raised its fears that the second option may lead to confusion among the working class due to image that has been registered in the minds of the Nigerian masses that Labor Party is the party of workers. In my opinion, this fear is not necessary. After all, the holy book says by their fruit, ye shall know them. Nigerians are not fools, we know our friends when we see one. NLC can adopt another name like National Labor Party (NLP). The present happenings in Labor Party are simply unacceptable. If a business tycoon like Dele Momodu could not afford the ticket of the party, it only means that the ticket of the party is practically closed for any working class based candidate. Another excuse is that no political party can function without money bag politicians. According to those who belong to this school, the expense of placing of two party agents at the existing 120,000 polling booths nationwide alone would amount to N240 million, not to talk of other expenses to buy buses for the campaign and have campaign offices in the entire 36 states of the federation, including the FCT. But, the NLC controlled party would not have to bother itself about all these things. The party agents would be sought out from the numerous workers across the country that would see it as their social obligation to salvage the poor masses and not as money-making avenue. The transportation and accommodation facilities of the Congress would also be made use of. This move becomes highly imperative because the poor masses are simply tired of the antics of other major political parties in the land. While the AC criticizes the PDP, they are not in any way different. They share the same ideology. While the PDP privatizes public utilities, deregulates the entire downstream sector and spend the taxpayers’ money to bail out private banks, the AC poses no alternative; they rather support all of these neo-liberal policies, which only succeeded in compounding the problems of the masses. That NLC’s intervention in the political process is pivotal to the growth and sustenance of genuine democratic political party in Nigeria is not in doubt. But, NLC’s ability to play active roles in promoting these principles as well as serving as a genuine alternative for the masses appeared to have been severely circumvented in the last four years. Meanwhile, I use this opportunity to congratulate Comrade Omar for his reelection. His reelection showed that the confidence which the working class had in him has not been eroded. I can only advise him to let his actions go beyond rhetoric this time around. Finally, while it is envisaged that the current leadership of the Union will learn to do things better with time, a deliberate inconsistence which is almost becoming the order of the day will not only spell doom for the Union, it may erode the confidence which the entire masses had in it. The reelected leadership of the Union, therefore, needed to shape up or in the alternative remain stagnant, not only to its peril but also to the peril of the masses that are looking forward to the Union as their savior. Whatever be the situation, one thing that is clear is that it must not continue to be business as usual.
Adewale Stephen Department of History Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State Nigeria.
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