THE new leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) must see labour business well beyond ‘bread and butter’ deals and must reconnect with grassroots workers, former President of the NLC, Adams Oshiomhole has said.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has equally charged the new NLC President, Ayuba Wabba to bear in mind that his victory was the expression of entire workers in the country, hence, he should commit himself to forming an administration that will work for the advancement of the interests of all workers irrespective of their unions or loyalties.

In a congratulatory letter personally signed by the Edo state governor, Oshiomhole argued that NLC under Wabba must seek to re-assert labour independence, re-connect with the forgotten rural majority and position itself as a major player in shaping Nigeria’s polity, economy and society consistent with the true traditions of the Congress and the interests of the Nigerian working families.

While affirming the fact that the process that brought Wabba was transparent at the just-concluded 11th delegates’ conference of the NLC, the Edo governor stressed that Wabba’s victory reflects recognition of his leadership capabilities, sound trade union antecedents, loyalty and commitment to the Nigerian labour movement.

He added: “The Nigerian people no longer see the Congress as the ‘voice of voiceless’ and a bulwark against socio-economic and political oppression and injustices in the polity. The Congress is essentially viewed as either being complicit or at best indifference to the cries of the poor working class people and the middle class citizens who are daily at the receiving end of an unjust social order.”

]Oshiomhole stressed that there is no other time that is apt than now to begin to work assiduously to reposition the Congress and brace up to the challenge of revolution of expectations of the affiliates of the Congress and Nigerians as a whole, while also providing a focused and dynamic leadership that will chart a new course for the Nigerian labour movement as vanguard in the struggle for good governance, democratic consultation and social justice.

The former NLC Chief highlighted that the challenge of re-uniting and re-building confidence amongst all the affiliates of the Congress in the spirit of unity and solidarity that the Nigeria labour movement shares is now.

He cautioned Wabba against seeing his victory as a personal achievement saying, “Comrade President, I must emphasize that you must see your victory as a collective and not personal one. Your tenure to lead the NLC is coinciding with one of the most critical periods in Nigeria’s history, politically, and economically. Definitely, these are, indeed, challenging times that call for a more proactive and constructive approach in the defence of the interests of not only the working people but the entire Nigerian citizens.

In this context, it is necessary that the leadership sharpens its capacity to engage public and private institutions at all levels in Nigeria and provide the needed checks and balances in the on-going democratic contestations in the polity.”

In a statement signed by the National Secretary of IPMAN, Danladi Pasali in Abuja, IPMAN said the peaceful election of Wabba is a sign of solidarity and transformation of labour movement in the country. Pasali added that the victory of Wabba is not only for NLC, but for the entire country, saying that any country without vibrant labour movement will not benefits from full dividend of democracy.