Workers set agenda for Buhari’s administration

…As Employers seek consultation

AHEAD of May 29, 2015 take off date of the incoming administration, workers across the country have challenged the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari’s to put modalities in place to ensure economic growth and prosperity.

The workers, from different sectors of the nation’s economy, while congratulating Buhari, explained that his victory in the ‘keenly contested presidential election’ has opened a new chapter for the nation.

Under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), led by Ayuba Wabba, the workers said they believe that the election of Buhari has opened a new and important chapter in the socio-political development of Nigeria, adding that “we have finally broken the jinx of transiting from one democratically elected civilian government controlled by a ruling party to one controlled by an opposition party”.

Wabba commended President   Goodluck Jonathan for “not only organising an election adjudged to be credible and fair but also for promptly accepting its outcome even though he lost. This is statesmanship and is in keeping with his oft-quoted phrase that his election into the office of President is not worth the blood of any Nigerian”.

Meanwhile, a factional president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, in a statement forwarded to The Guardian   predicted that the outcome of the election is an indication that there is hope for improved performance in subsequent elections.

Ajaero said: “We are very pleased with the feedback that we have received so far from our members across the country about the conduct of the elections.

The feedback commendably indicate great democratic enthusiasm on the part of all Nigerians, orderly conducts, patience and the unprecedented cooperation with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials to see through the various innovations in a bid to ensure hitch free and credible elections”.

Expressing similar enthusiasm, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigerian (ASCSN} also commended Nigerians for their orderly conduct during the exercise.

President of NUPENG, Igwe Achese, states that the union believes Buhari will bring his past leadership experience to bear in moving the nation forward.

Achese said: “As a former Minister of Petroleum Resources and Head of State, NUPENG expects that his second coming will put the Oil and Gas Sector on a sound footing.  We commend the General for his resilience and patience and want him to settle down and address the nagging challenges bedeviling the Oil and Gas Industry.

“These challenges include the quick passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which has been in the National Assembly for four years now, if not passed by the current National Assembly, the rehabilitation of the Nation’s four refineries to make them work optimally, and building of new refineries in order to reduce the massive importation of petroleum products.

“The other challenges that should be addressed are the issues of outsourcing and casualisation of workers in the industry.  We believe that if these issues are addressed, there will be job creation which is one of the cardinal points of the new administration”, Achese added.

The Rivers State chapter of TUC described the election as ‘historic, adding that it is an indication that democracy is growing in Nigeria.

In a statement signed by TUC Rivers state chairman, Chika Onuegbu, the congress said: “We believe that the historic emergence of President-Elect Buhari is a clear indication that democracy is growing in Nigeria, the days of impunity are numbered and leadership is about the people who are the real owners of government. We appeal to the new President-Elect to unite Nigeria; tackle corruption and insecurity; address the economy with a view to addressing the twin evil of poverty and unemployment”.

The congress also appealed to the out-going President and National assembly to quickly pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law “now that the election of the President and National assembly has been concluded”.

He said Nigeria has lost hundreds of billions of United States Dollars in Oil and gas investment due to the non-passage of the PIB.

He said: “The truth is that investors have continued to adopt a wait and see attitude, refraining from making any new investment pending the passage of the bill. Since 2009 when the Yar’Adua government first introduced the PIB, no new Final Investment Decision (FID) has been taken on any oil and gas project in Nigeria, not even on the government-promoted, Brass LNG project.

“While we are dithering in Nigeria, there are new oil discoveries all over Africa, drawing in investors just as new technology is making hitherto unreachable and uneconomic hydrocarbon deposits accessible in Europe and North America thus attracting investors to those environments.

Their failure to pass the PIB will mean that the new National Assembly and the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari will have to start afresh allover in line with legislative tradition. This will be very unfortunate for Nigeria.

“As we prepare for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, we appeal to the security agencies especially in Rivers State to ensure that adequate security is provided”.

The national headquarters of TUC while congratulating Buhari for his “doggedness and refusal to quit despite the defeat he suffered in the last three elections” applauded Jonathan “whom we learnt has congratulated his opponent. What Mr. President Jonathan has done is a proof that election is indeed not a do-or-die affair. The move is commendable”.

According to statement issued by TUC President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, Buhari’s resolve to contest the 2015 general elections is   a mark of his belief in the project Nigeria, and his “unflinching desire to contribute his quota in ensuring that he continues with the good work of his predecessor and to even surpass it”.

NLC described the successful conduct of the presidential election as a tribute to the patience, enthusiasm, resilience and determination of Nigerians to choose who governs them. Wabba said: “It is a demonstration of their abiding faith in democracy and belief in their country.  It also marks the beginning of a new era in our democratic experience where expectations are high.

“In spite of some early glitches and imperfections in the voting process, INEC under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega is deserving of a special commendation for a credible, transparent and acceptable election.

“It is no doubt a remarkable improvement on the previous elections conducted by INEC. Not a few will attribute this success to the will of INEC to do the right thing including the use of the card-readers.

“Today, Nigerians are happy and proud to be associated with this process which has yielded this success.

“The election is significant for several reasons, and lessons, we daresay, have been learnt, the most important, perhaps being that, votes do count after all.

Politicians will learn to keep their promises to the electorate. When justice prevails in the land, threat to national security and well-being is minimized. Parties are expected to have stronger internal governance structure where grievance management and accountability will be upheld.

“Issues of hate campaign and violation of campaign spending limit marked the low point in the presidential election.

INEC is expected to correct the imperfections in the system, especially, non-availability/late arrival of electoral materials, delay in the voting process, failing card-reader machines, gaps in the filing and submission of electoral report sheets, among others, all of which have potential not only for negating the process but even for putting in jeopardy the result.

“We pay tribute to all Nigerians, the political parties, the electorate, security agencies, members of observer missions domestic and international, and the media for keeping faith. Their vigilance ensured we had an election that is not controversial.

“We also pay tribute to the victims of violent incidents, accidents or any other circumstance in pursuance of this election, especially the memory of the dead. They are heroes and martyrs of our new-found democracy. The least the new government can do in their memory is to build upon the culture of democracy it has inherited.

“Once again, we at the Nigeria Labour Congress find it necessary to congratulate General Muhammadu Buhari whose victory is a lesson in perseverance and commitment to a cause.

As he joins the league of Presidents given a second chance, there are unusually great expectations from his countrymen and women, which he can ill-afford not to meet.

“We look forward to working with and engaging the incoming government.  We stand ready to work with the President-elect in defining a new agenda for our nation”, Ayuba added.

Members of ASCSN also joined other organizations and prominent individuals in Nigeria and other parts of the world to congratulate Buhari just as it urged him to strive to provide good governance.

ASCSN added that there is high hope among Nigerians that General Buhari would bring fresh perspective to bear on governance as is the case in civilized countries of the world.

ASCSN said: “There is no doubting the fact that the challenges that lay ahead are enormous. We nonetheless believe that with hard-work, perseverance, and selfless service to our fatherland, you will overcome and move the country to the next level.

“Your Excellency, as you are no doubt aware, the world has changed since you left the saddle as a military Head of State about 30 years ago.

Today, Nigerians yearn for good governance, freedom of conscience, and freedom of expression so that they can participate actively on how they are governed as free citizens entitled to fundamental human rights in a democratic society,” said the union.

According to the ASCSN, General Buhari and his political party would have been better tutored by the stringent campaigns both in the mainstream media and the social media and should realize that it is not going to be business as usual.

It stressed that the world is watching the President-elect to see how he would fare in his second coming as Nigerian leader.

“Consequently, we solicit that your administration should hit the ground running and live up to expectations of many Nigerians who crave for change by healing the wounds and bitterness occasioned by the electioneering campaigns and lift Nigeria to greater heights by addressing the myriads of problems facing the country including economic problems, infrastructural decay, energy crisis, joblessness and on top of it all corruption,” the union added.

The union enjoined the President-elect to be focused and be wary of public officials who may want to advise him to toe the path of retrenching workers in the name of reforms citing the temporary setbacks in the global oil market as reasons.

“We need to caution that such step if taken will only worsen the already precarious situation the country has found itself.

“Our take is that with the plugging of loopholes where heavy leakages from the treasury are experienced on a daily basis coupled with robust management of government’s expenditure profile and your track record of honesty and integrity, Nigeria as a nation will surely get it right and be better for it,” the union added.