NLC Reschedules Botched Election

The National Executive
Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rescheduled the botched delegates conference election for March 12, 2015 in Abuja.
In a statement issued by the Secretary General of the congress Comrade Peter Ozo-Eson on Wednesday after the congress NEC meeting said the NLC reaffirmed its  determination to conduct free fair and credible election devoid of any manipulation whatsoever.
Ozo-Eson said although the failed delegates conference election was regrettable, NLC will not allow a repeat of such event in its determination to enthrone credible congress leadership.
He said NEC took the decision to reschedule the election to ensure that the mandate of the current leadership of the congress does not go beyond  the NLC constitutional provision of four years.
He urged all affiliate unions to have trust in the credentials committee ability to deliver on credible poll for the congress, stressing that the committee has been charged to ensure that the mistake of duplication of names on the ballot papers does not occur again.
Meanwhile, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged printing of multiple ballot papers with different serial numbers among others in the botched election.
A statement by the President General of the union Comrade Emmanuel Nted after the NLC NEC meeting in Abuja said the circumstances that led to the botched election was unacceptable to the organised  Labour movement in the country.
Nted said that all those that were directly and indirectly involved in the manipulation must be severely sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others in future.
He said the organised Labour movement as a watchdog to the society is supposed to fight for the oppressed and upholding truth and justice rather than the leadership of the congress giving Labour a bad name, stressing those involved in the ballot papers booklet manipulation if they are secretariat staff should be dismissed or if they are Labour leaders, they should be expelled from NLC to restore sanity and respect to the Labour movement in the country.

Philip Okparaji