Labour Hails Nnaji’s Resignation

The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Abdulwaheed
Omar,  in Abuja on Wednesday described
the resignation of Prof Barth Nnaji of Minister of Power as “very good.”

Omar told The Tide
that the former minister’s exist would pave way for better and
transparent transactions in the power sector.

He said what the union had said before was that someone with
vested interest could not go into negotiations as it would end up becoming
messy, adding that the PHCN workers had demonstrated sufficient goodwill in
settling the crisis and  stressed that
this was why they deviated from their earlier position of no privatisation.

“They are now at points that if you are going to privatise,
give us our severance allowances, give us what is due to us and go ahead.

“This is where we have the problems because someone
somewhere has vested interest and they are saying no, that it will not happen.

“I am happy that the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation (SGF) is beginning to realise that the workers are not to be blamed.

“If that is the case, we want an amicable resolution and the
meeting which has started is right on course, it is going to continue and we
are going to be there.

“By the grace of God, very soon, we will be able to work out
the best way out so that these workers can get what is due to them,’’ he said.

Similarly, the President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr
Peter Esele, The Tide that the union commended the minister for resigning.

Esele said that in the spirit of best practice and good
governance, the minister had taken the honourable path as done in other
developed countries, pointing out  that
the problems were not only about the minister but about other people in
government who had their hands soiled because of vested interest.

“It is not about Barth Nnaji, there are so many of these
proxy companies that ministers have interest in.

For him to resign, it is just the beginning of change that
is coming in the country.

Esele said that the unions were not against the reforms in
the power ministry, adding that anything that could be done to make it happen,
the union would support it.

“What we are saying is that workers should be paid their
entitlements, their gratuities, their severance and the workers will go.

“ The government is an institution and not tied around an
individual, so his exit cannot jeopardise the ongoing negotiation with
government.