Opinion
Need To End Workers’ Struggles
What is known as “Workers Day” or “May Day” across many continents of the world, was known as “International Labour Day”. Workers Day remains a memorial of the titanic struggles, pains and gains made by workers and labour unions, over a century. The struggles date back to 1886 in the United States where in May, about 400,000 workers in the employ of various labour employer institutions, downed tools demanding a reduction of labour man-hours to eight as against the varying and discriminatory hours of daily work at that time in several work places. Sadly, about 147 years of the struggle that turned violent on the third day, workers especially in the Third World countries including Nigeria are still grappling with work-related vicissitudes and challenges which leaves much to be desired. Workers, through their labour organisations or unions have continued to demand and campaign for decent condition of service and fair pay commensurate with the harsh economic realities and inflationary trends in Nigeria.
The mantra or slogan of “Struggles Continue”, associated with Labour is in my candid opinion, quite unnecessary and constitutes a reminder of the unfriendly conditions of service that the worker is subjected to, that will always translate to a struggle before they can access their entitlements, if at all granted.It is disheartening that in the last ten years, condition of work in many States of the country has moved from bad to worse. In some States, workers are owed salaries running into 24 months and above, no increment, no promotion, no good work environment, thus workers are grossly demoralised and their productivity is hampered.It is also reported that in many States of the country, the National Minimum Wage Law which stipulates a minimum wage of N30,000 for workers is only a mirage as many State Governors have refused to implement or implement fully the minimum wage law which is due for a review. Workers at the Third tier level of governance are worst hit because in most States of the country they are yet to be paid minimum wage and other entitlements.
Part time, Short term or casual work and badly paid work have become a norm in many work organisations – Federal, State Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals. Even with a workforce that depletes every year due to retirement, death, resignation for greener pastures, many State Governments and Federal Government still placed embargo on employment thus compounding the galloping unemployment rate in the country and imposing on the few serving workers, more work without incentives to drive productivity. That is why I view the bill to prevent medical workers from seeking greener pastures outside the shores of Nigeria, at the National Assembly, as draconian and wicked, to say the least. Instead of providing good condition of service and attractive salaries, people who do not feel the bite of Nigeria’s bad economy because they are being serviced with a “thirds of the Nation’s recurrent budget”, whose work attendance is far less disproportionate to civil or public servants, could be so inconsiderate to allow such a bill in the “hallowed” chambers. Their action is veiled hatred for workers.
Even with the full implementation of the National Minimum Wage by some States governments, workers take-home (if any), is paltry in view of harsh socio-economic realities-high transport fares, outrageous house rents, astronomical school fees, even in Government-owned institutions, unfriendly electricity tariff and utility services.To cushion the pains of Nigeria’s depressed economy on their workers, some conscientious governors have reviewed upward the minimum salary of their workers. This is commendable, because “stomach infrastructure” is the ultimate. It is the bedrock of development as self-preservation is the law of nature.The Russian philosopher and educationist, Lao Russell, once wrote: In vain you build the city, if you did not first build the man. For Russell, it is a misplaced priority to build the city at the expense of workers – a situation that is reminiscent of the adage, ‘Robbing Peter to pay Paul”.
The worker remains the most important factor of production. Play with the worker, you play with your capital and make realisation of corporate goals, policies and programmes far-fetched and elusive.The value and power of the worker as an invaluable asset cannot be over-emphasised. The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, aptly captured the value of workers when he described them as, “Society’s backbone”, positing that the government owed workers a collective debt of gratitude. And the aspirations of labour are best realised under a responsible and a responsive Government.The worker works to provide for loved ones in Africa’s traditional extended Family setting, so the workers salary is a peanut compared to the take-home of political office holders in Nigeria and the domestic responsibility he shoulders .A situation where a government and other employers of Labour are not labour-friendly, portends untold hardship for workers.
How would retirees (senior citizens) who spent their productive years serving their State or country, be owed backlog of pension and gratuities. How will they survive the prevailing hardship. No wonder, some are dead, some are sickly and some are depressed. Let me say it again, the maxim, “The Struggle Continues”, in my considered view only reveals a continued nonchalant attitude to workers welfare by employers of Labour which inevitably will translate to endless struggles and uneasy calm.Employers of Labour should cultivate passion for their workers, provide a conducive work environment, increase salaries and improved incentives for the enhanced productivity of workers. A happy worker is synonymous with greater output.The lord and servant work relationship should stop. Relationship should be symbiotic and friendly. Let’s learn from satirical George Orwell’s Animal Farm to end labour-related struggles.
By: Igbiki Benibo
The events that unfolded in Abuja on Tuesday November 11, 2025 between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and a detachment of soldiers guarding a disputed property, led by Adams Yerima, a commissioned Naval Officer, may go down as one of the defining images of Nigeria’s democratic contradictions. It was not merely a quarrel over land. It was a confrontation between civil authority and the military legacy that still hovers over our national life.
Nyesom Wike, fiery and fearless as always, was seen on video exchanging words with a uniformed officer who refused to grant him passage to inspect a parcel of land alleged to have been illegally acquired. The minister’s voice rose, his temper flared, and the soldier, too, stood his ground, insisting on his own authority. Around them, aides, security men, and bystanders watched, stunned, as two embodiments of the Nigerian state clashed in the open.
The images spread fast, igniting debates across drawing rooms, beer parlours, and social media platforms. Some hailed Wike for standing up to military arrogance; others scolded him for perceived disrespect to the armed forces. Yet beneath the noise lies a deeper question about what sort of society we are building and whether power in Nigeria truly understands the limits of its own reach.
It is tragic that, more than two decades into civil rule, the relationship between the civilian arm of government and the military remains fragile and poorly understood. The presence of soldiers in a land dispute between private individuals and the city administration is, by all civic standards, an aberration. It recalls a dark era when might was right, and uniforms conferred immunity against accountability.
Wike’s anger, even if fiery, was rooted in a legitimate concern: that no individual, however connected or retired, should deploy the military to protect personal interests. That sentiment echoes the fundamental democratic creed that the law is supreme, not personalities. If his passion overshot decorum, it was perhaps a reflection of a nation weary of impunity.
On the other hand, the soldier in question is a symbol of another truth: that discipline, respect for order, and duty to hierarchy are ingrained in our armed forces. He may have been caught between conflicting instructions one from his superiors, another from a civilian minister exercising his lawful authority. The confusion points not to personal failure but to institutional dysfunction.
It is, therefore, simplistic to turn the incident into a morality play of good versus evil.
*********”**** What happened was an institutional embarrassment. Both men represented facets of the same failing system a polity still learning how to reconcile authority with civility, law with loyalty, and service with restraint.
In fairness, Wike has shown himself as a man of uncommon courage. Whether in Rivers State or at the FCTA, he does not shy away from confrontation. Yet courage without composure often feeds misunderstanding. A public officer must always be the cooler head, even when provoked, because the power of example outweighs the satisfaction of winning an argument.
Conversely, soldiers, too, must be reminded that their uniforms do not place them above civilian oversight. The military exists to defend the nation, not to enforce property claims or intimidate lawful authorities. Their participation in purely civil matters corrodes the image of the institution and erodes public trust.
One cannot overlook the irony: in a country where kidnappers roam highways and bandits sack villages, armed men are posted to guard contested land in the capital. It reflects misplaced priorities and distorted values. The Nigerian soldier, trained to defend sovereignty, should not be drawn into private or bureaucratic tussles.
Sycophancy remains the greatest ailment of our political culture. Many of those who now cheer one side or the other do so not out of conviction but out of convenience. Tomorrow they will switch allegiance. True patriotism lies not in defending personalities but in defending principles. A people enslaved by flattery cannot nurture a culture of justice.
The Nigerian elite must learn to submit to the same laws that govern the poor. When big men fence off public land and use connections to shield their interests, they mock the very constitution they swore to uphold. The FCT, as the mirror of national order, must not become a jungle where only the powerful can build.
The lesson for Wike himself is also clear: power is best exercised with calmness. The weight of his office demands more than bravery; it demands statesmanship. To lead is not merely to command, but to persuade — even those who resist your authority.
Equally, the lesson for the armed forces is that professionalism shines brightest in restraint. Obedience to illegal orders is not loyalty; it is complicity. The soldier who stands on the side of justice protects both his honour and the dignity of his uniform.
The Presidency, too, must see this episode as a wake-up call to clarify institutional boundaries. If soldiers can be drawn into civil enforcement without authorization, then our democracy remains at risk of subtle militarization. The constitution must speak louder than confusion.
The Nigerian public deserves better than spectacles of ego. We crave leaders who rise above emotion and officers who respect civilian supremacy. Our children must not inherit a nation where authority means shouting matches and intimidation in public glare.
Every democracy matures through such tests. What matters is whether we learn the right lessons. The British once had generals who defied parliament; the Americans once fought over states’ rights; Nigeria, too, must pass through her own growing pains but with humility, not hubris.
If the confrontation has stirred discomfort, then perhaps it has done the nation some good. It forces a conversation long overdue: Who truly owns the state — the citizen or the powerful? Can we build a Nigeria where institutions, not individuals, define our destiny?
As the dust settles, both the FCTA and the military hierarchy must conduct impartial investigations. The truth must be established — not to shame anyone, but to restore order. Where laws were broken, consequences must follow. Where misunderstandings occurred, apologies must be offered.
Let the rule of law triumph over the rule of impulse. Let civility triumph over confrontation. Let governance return to the path of dialogue and procedure.
Nigeria cannot continue to oscillate between civilian bravado and military arrogance. Both impulses spring from the same insecurity — the fear of losing control. True leadership lies in the ability to trust institutions to do their work without coercion.
Those who witnessed the clash saw a drama of two gladiators. One in starched khaki, one in well-cut suit. Both proud, both unyielding. But a nation cannot be built on stubbornness; it must be built on understanding. Power, when it meets power, should produce order, not chaos.
We must resist the temptation to glorify temper. Governance is not warfare; it is stewardship. The citizen watches, the world observes, and history records. How we handle moments like this will define our collective maturity.
The confrontation may have ended without violence, but it left deep questions in the national conscience. When men of authority quarrel in the open, institutions tremble. The people, once again, become spectators in a theatre of misplaced pride.
It is time for all who hold office — civilian or military — to remember that they serve under the same flag. That flag is neither khaki nor political colour; it is green-white-green, and it demands humility.
No victor, no vanquish only a lesson for a nation still learning to govern itself with dignity.
By; King Onunwor
