Rivers NLC Crisis Threatens May Day Activities

Head of Training and Resource Mobilisation, Malam Auwal Mohammed (left), presenting relief materials to Malam Alkali Azir, one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), at the distribution of relief materials donated to IDPs by the Red Cross Society of Nigeria and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Gombe, last Tuesday.

The lingering crisis of leadership in Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers State Chapter, is threatening the successful hosting of this year’s May Day activities in the state.
The Tide investigation revealed that the two factions are unrelenting in their separate efforts to organise this year’s May Day celebration for workers’ in the state.
According to  Vice Chairman NLC, Rivers State Chapter, Comrade Adah Williams NLC’s State chairman Chief Chris Oruge remained suspended from office and therefore has no power to organise any successful May Day celebration for the entire workers’ in the state.
William’s group alleged that the National Secretariat of NLC has not written to the State Executive Council (SEC) of the NLC lifting the suspension placed on the state chairman.
The group said the NLC state chairman may be acting ultra vires and against the collective interest of the workers in the state to go ahead to organise the May Day activities.
The group told The Tide that the NLC chairman has failed to respond to the alleged sundry allegations against him and even answered the query issued him by the National Secretariat of NLC in Abuja.
The group therefore advised workers’ in the State to remain calm as the NLC national secretariat would certainly address the allegations against Oruge before the May Day.
But in a swift response Oruge’s faction through Comrade Emecheta Chukwu insisted that there is no faction or crisis in the Rivers NLC chapter.
Chukwu said the Rivers NLC remains one family under the leadership of Oruge adding that the NLC State chairman would organise a very successful May Day celebration for the entire workers in the state.
He said Chris Oruge has run a very transparent NLC administration in the state without any blemish.
Chukwu who is the state chairman Public Service Joint Negotiating Council advised Labour leaders in the state to always project and protect the common interests of the workers’ rather than their selfish interest.
He said the NLC outgoing chairman has done his best for the workers and therefore needed commendations from the workers and not by running him down as being done by few persons.
He appealed to other union leaders to foster unity and oneness among the Labour Unions in the state and thereby desist from divisive tendencies.

Philip Okparaji