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End Human Slaughter Now, Labour Tasks FG
The United labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC) says it is deeply worried that despite all promises made by the Federal Government to stem the tide of the continued slaughter of Nigerian citizens in the North East and North Central, the gory events have escalated.
The ULC said that the number of Nigerians who meet their untimely and gruesome death in the hands of blood thirsty persons and groups keeps growing on daily basis and expanding in scope, while government watches helplessly.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the United Labour Congress (ULC) of Nigeria held in Lagos last Saturday and signed by Joe Ajaero, National President of ULC and made available to The Tide.
The organised labour averred that it has become frightening to Nigerian workers and the masses at the lack of premium which Nigerian politicians and leaders give on the lives of an average Nigerian, adding that they do not think that lives of Nigerian citizens matter again as head-count of those who have fallen to the merciless weapons of the butchers while politicians look inured and insensitive as mass grave after mass grave are dug and filled every day with the corpses of dead Nigerians has become unprecedented.
“Our worry became alarming when we observed that the institutions that ought to take charge of this threat to our nation seem not to have any clue as to the dynamic of the killing. It is befuddling that for an unfortunate event that has been on for some years, the nation’s security apparatchik cannot categorically tell Nigerians why and who is responsible for this act”.
“That any government or leadership that fails to protect the lives and properties of its citizenry is a failed government. We have to be alive to enjoy whatsoever other benefits or achievements the government may have claimed to have attained during its tenure. The killing must stop. The flow of blood must cease and the reign of fear and terror must be removed”, it added.
According to the communiqué, the refusal of the Federal Government to rein the nation’s security apparatchik and remove the erring heads in the face of complete failure to halt the apparent civil war in the country makes the government more complicit. “We had thought that this would have been one of the measures that would have restored confidence and rebuilt trust which will send the right signals of its intentions to resolve the security crisis”.
The communiqué also urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to resolve the issues surrounding the proposed new minimum wage for workers in the country.
“The National Minimum Wage negotiation was becoming a negotiation to nowhere as the government seems bent on ensuring that it is forever delayed, scuttled or at best played politics with but the last meeting of the negotiating committees offers a ray of hope as the committee’s work as agreed will wind up compulsorily this August”, he added.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his resolve to remain steadfast in delivering development projects across the state, declaring that political distractions will not derail his administration’s commitment to the people.
The governor gave the assurance last Wednesday, while inspecting the ongoing rehabilitation of major roads within the old Port Harcourt Township, including the Creek Road Market project.
Apparently reacting to the prevailing political atmosphere, Fubara insisted that his priority remains governance and service delivery, not political pressures.
“I have promised our people that no matter the situation, we will not lose focus on governance,” he said.
“They entrusted us with leadership, and the least we owe them is confidence, stability and the assurance that governance will continue strongly.” he added.
Accompanied by Engineer Michel Issa of Setraco Nigeria Limited, Fubara toured several completed and ongoing roadworks, inspecting rehabilitated streets around Moore House before concluding the exercise at the Creek Road Market.
Speaking on the market redevelopment, the governor described the project as central to the revival of the old Port Harcourt township, noting that the modernisation of the facility would restore its lost glory and improve commercial activities in the area.
He explained that the new market was designed to accommodate traders currently operating on the roads, a situation he said contributes to traffic congestion and the rapid deterioration of road infrastructure along Creek Road.
“What are we trying to do? You can see the difficulty in driving through Creek Road because we don’t have proper settlement for marketers,” Fubara said, adding, “If we fix this market, those trading on the streets will move inside.”
According to him, relocating traders into the market will make it easier to properly rehabilitate the roads and preserve their structural integrity, while also enhancing the aesthetics of the township
On the road network, the governor disclosed that the rehabilitation works span from Borokiri through all major streets in the old township, stressing that the approach is holistic and aimed at delivering lasting infrastructure upgrade.
