A Civil Society Organisation, CSO, under the aegis of Citizens Watch Advocacy Movement, CWAM, has advised President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba to stop annexing the labour platform and essence of labour unionism for ‘narrow, personal gains.’
The group through its President and Secretary, Mohammed Ibn Yunusa and Mark Ekine respectively described the alleged replacement of Comrade Kokori with a chartered accountant, Insurance and Taxation expert, Austin Enajemo-Isere as an impeccable choice, and a resounding vote for merit at a time competence was in shackles of national neglect.
The group in a statement said, “It is high time selfish interests gave way to the interest of the nation. NSITF is a specialized agency which must be managed in line with the agenda of the Buhari administration.
“The current administration from our investigation inherited an NSITF with the bastardized procurement process. The NSITF in which N62 billion was eaten by locusts. An agency in which N5 billion disappeared in a single day without vouchers. An agency that could not pay the salaries and allowances of its staff, an agency some of whose regional and branch offices such as the ones in Rivers, Imo and Jigawa were shut down for non-remittance of taxes. It was an NSITF whose staff members stagnated for six years without promotion that Buhari inherited.
“In that respect, we wish to state that with non-professionals currently serving as the Managing Director and Executive Directors of the NSITF, the appointment of a thoroughbred professional as the Chairman of the Board must be applauded by all Nigerians except those who are enemies of the nation.
“Kokori is no doubt a foremost labour leader and activist, a patriotic Nigerian whose contributions to the cause of democracy cannot be written off but we are talking of the NSITF whose fortunes slid so badly, that it needs professional repositioning by a board chairman with a sound pedigree in allied professions.