SPECIAL PRESS STATEMENT BY THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS ON NIGERIA’S 41ST INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY 

It is a sad reflection of the Nigerian reality that anniversaries of the country’s independence in the last one decade have always been marked with the proverbial "sober reflection". What should clearly be a moment to celebrate national triumphs and define new challenges is now a nagging milestone on a journey marked by frittered opportunities, misery, fratricidal ethnic and religious wars, insecurity, leadership irresponsibility among so many other tragic continuities.

In essence, the Nigerian people have not benefited substantially from the dividends of independence. Even though they continue to work and make sacrifices, a tiny set of rulers preside over the fruits of their labour, turning the state into an instrument for amassing and preserving their manifold fortunes, much of which is acquired illegally and criminally.

A country richly blessed with an excellent climate, rich mineral resources and a population that is the envy of the continent now parades some of the worst human and economic development indicators in the world, including a poverty profile that ranks it among the thirty poorest countries. From a country of groundnut pyramids, it has become an importer of beans from Burkina Faso.

The economy has been bled dry by a succession of rogue leadership. Twice, fantastic fortunes was made by the country from high crude oil receipts and twice the proceeds had gone into private pockets, ending up in coded foreign bank accounts and in buying choice real estate in metropolitan centres. Other opportunities to lift the country out of the poverty cycle have been squandered by leaders whose universe is limited by greed and privatist calculations, which have been completely subversive of development and democracy as well as the common good.

Currently, the economy still gropes in the dark unguided by any intelligent policy. The exchange rate, interest rate and other indicators show a patent lack of performance that does not worry the leadership and the economic policy apparatus. Instead, the leadership has conveniently abandoned the economy to foreign interests. Thus, the IMF, World Bank and the Paris Club etc. have taken up the management of the economy, dictating what should be spent to service foreign debts and presiding over the single largest privatisation exercise this century. Our borders are now widely open to just about any import, including toothpicks.

The net effect is that indigenous industrialisation has been subverted and the real sector of the economy is by characterised capacity under-utilisation and a high aggregate of unsold inventory. Formal sector employment continues to shrink, as the sector posts scandalously high retrenchment figures. The informal sector, which now plays a more serious role in labour absorbsion, is left unprotected by government. Often, in fact, its bulldozers mow down business premises of small holdings while taxes and levies mercilessly erode their meagre capital – in a country where the rich are notoriously tax-shy. Overall, there is a complete abandoning of the common citizenry by the state and its custodians such that every Nigerian is now a municipality on his/her own, providing his/her own water, security, electricity and virtually everything. The social sectors, especially education and health, have been neglected and offer services that would have been deemed disastrous even in war. The security situation is nothing to write home about, to use the cliché. Nigerians are not save in the streets, at home, at work, in the day or at night.

In political terms, not much progress has been made. Leadership is still not seen in terms of service but as a ladder to personal wealth. Democratic rule has not changed the notion of leadership nor guaranteed good governance. The Federal Executive service remains over bloated and has offered too little fresh ideas. The average age of President Obasanjo’s cabinet is over 60 years, making it an elite old peoples’ home. The legislative arm is made up of seasoned welfarists but who believe that the legislators, and not the people, should be the beneficiaries. They are always forthcoming in approving jumbo allowances for themselves.

Politics is business as usual, entailing sinister use of religion and ethnicity to manipulate and divide the people in the quest for short-term political advantages. This elevation of identity politics into the prime strategy of the political elite has worsened the conflict profile of the country and has led to the death of thousands and some of the worst peacetime refugee situations on the continent. The last was the disturbances in Jos. Thus, Nigeria’s corporate survival is being threatened by the actions of those expected to give it meaning.

 This is why the leadership of Congress is working on the idea of having peace rallies all over the country to expose the ruling class machination in all the disturbances and encourage our people to recognise the commonality of their interests. 

The Nigeria Labour Congress believes that the 41^st anniversary should be an opportunity for the current administration to abandon the business-as-usual attitude and face the reality that this country is in a deathbed crisis economically, politically and socially. Public policy now requires a level of seriousness that cannot be achieved with the lack of seriousness evident in governance. The economy requires new vision and solution that will make Nigeria work, not the self-serving Brettonwoods formula.

Politics could do with some integrity, which the three political parties do not seem to possess. The space needs to be liberalised so that people and organisations that believe in the Nigeria agenda can play a meaningful role. Therefore, it has become important to have more political parties and independent candidature so as to encourage alternative values and enhance the quality of politics and, ultimately, governance. A lot of decent and honest Nigerians who would have made a difference in politics and governance cannot find space in the thuggery, subterfuge, calumny and ethnic and religious bigotry that have polluted the political terrain.

Congress uses this occasion to salute the fortitude of the Nigerian people and to call for intensified efforts in saving our country. Nigerians who believe in this country have to rededicate themselves to the task of uniting around an agenda of change. This is not the time for despair but one that should be spent in finding the right approach to how to organise for improvements. As usual, the NLC is open to cooperation with patriotic individuals and organisations that have something useful to offer the people politically.

John E. Odah 

Ag. General Secretary September 30, 2001