MEMBERS of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), at the weekend, described as unacceptable and a shame the leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), following disagreement over the outcome of March 12, 2015 rescheduled election in Abuja.

According to the President-General the union, Emmanuel Tony Nted, “it is unfortunate and sad that the desperation of some individuals had reduced the Congress to a laughing stock both locally and internationally”.

The union in statement noted that it had been vindicated, pointing out that its President-General, on the eve of the rescheduled election withdrew from the race “because the election had been reduced to ethnic, tribal and sectional contest by those who wished the movement no good”.

Explaining further, the statement said: “today, the movement has been taken over by thugs and individuals who do not under what it means to be addressed as comrades. While we are not going to side either of the factions, we insist that the movement is greater than any individual or groups. We will remain neutral as Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria until this crisis is resolved.

Like we said on March 11, while we were withdrawing from the contest, we said we did not want to be associated with what is happening now because it is a shame. We have been vindicated.

There are allegations of manipulation of the election to favour some individuals and we are just going about as if nothing has happened. These are things not associated with labour in general and NLC in particular”.

He said: “How did we get to this degrading and shameful state? What are we going to pride ourselves with before politicians and government officials? If we cannot organize an acceptable election in the movement, what moral justification do we have to criticize politicians when they fail in the process? It is a sad story to hear that we now have alleged election manipulators or riggers.

When this shame started in the botched February election, our union demanded for a thorough investigation into the alleged printing of multiple ballot papers with different serial numbers among others so that the culprits would be brought to book. If this was done, we believe the rescheduled election would have been better. We now have thugs, individuals parading themselves as labour leaders and NLC leaders. It is very unfortunate and we call on respectable NLC veterans and other well- meaning stakeholders to wade in and save the Congress from this mess it has found itself.”