All may still be far from well at the Nigeria Labour Congres, NLC, as the Joe Ajaero-led faction on Wednesday carpeted the union’s former president and Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, who they accused of partisanship and clear alignment with a camp when he should be promoting peace.
Ajaero, while exchanging views with journalists in Abuja on efforts made by the past leaders to reconcile aggrieved members of the union following crisis sparked by the outcome of the election won by Ayuba Wabba, said the Edo State governor was unduly politicizing labour union activities and deviating from his role as a past labour leader.
Lamenting that it was unfortunate and highly disappointing that Oshiomhole failed to play the role of a veteran in the matter, he lauded efforts of some labour veterans, especially the first president of NLC, Hassan Sunmonu, second president, Ali Ciroma, founding president of electricity workers union, Ero Philips and other past leaders. This was as he noted that the resolution on the reconciliation meeting of April 21 would have been adopted if not for an alleged disruption of the process by Oshiomhole.
According to him, “We could have adopted these resolutions but for the unhelpful, divisive and partial role of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The Comrade Governor was expected at the historic reconciliatory meeting as former President of NLC.
“We were surprised that on the contrary, he fixed a dubious courtesy call on Ayuba-led (Ayuba Wabba) group at the NLC Secretariat at the same time without the courtesy of informing his elder veterans.
“Indeed, it was clear he meant to mischievously disrupt the reconciliation meeting as Comrade Wabba had to abandon the meeting to welcome him. It is a sign of disrespect on the part of the Comrade Governor and even Comrade Ayuba Wabba to have scheduled a courtesy call for whatever reason at the date and time respected labour leaders were meeting to proffer solutions to the crisis in the movement,” he said.
While reacting to the Comrade Governor’s courtesy visit on Wabba, where he alleged that some of the candidates that contested in the 11th Delegate Conference were bad losers, Ajaero flanked by Issa Aremu, Igwe Achese among others noted that the governor himself was an inconsistent bad mediator.
According to him, “We are also surprised with some statements credited to the Comrade Governor which unfortunately showed Adams deviating from the time honoured path of Comradeship and statesmanship.
“He gave a false impression of us as bad losers when indeed he is an inconsistent bad mafia. It is interesting that Comrade Adams urged us to emulate President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded in a free and fair presidential election and not him who refused to concede when he was callously rigged out during the governorship election in 2007.
“All the members of labour movement supported and stood with him in solidarity to get justice for his stolen mandate. What is good for Comrade Adams is good for other comrades including us.
“We expected him as a highly respected labour leader and Comrade Governor to be part of the effort to promote peace and reconciliation within the NLC and not to be seen as being partisan, divisive, pretending there are no problems in the movement,” Ajaero stated.
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