March 7, 2010
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the removal of Maurice Iwu from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In a statement issued at the end of an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) in Kaduna on Thursday to discuss the State of the Nation, with particular reference to the petroleum industry, the NLC said Iwu “has inflicted enough damage on the electoral integrity of the nation that all patriots must work to have him removed and prevented from presiding over preparations of the next general elections.” It mandated its leadership to convey their position to the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the National Assembly, and asked the leadership of the Congress to fix a date for national mass action to drive home its determination that that Maurice Iwu be forced out of INEC.
In the light of the Congress campaign for the implementation of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Committee Report on Electoral Reform, the NEC also decried the lukewarm attitude of the National Assembly to the process of reform, particularly as the 2011 general elections are in sight.
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It resolved that urgent action be taken “to show that both the Executive and the Legislature are genuinely working to prevent a repeat of the disaster that was the 2007 general elections and the subsequent by-elections since then.”
With reference to the prolonged ill-health of President Yar’Adua, the NEC endorsed the actions of the Congress leadership, and mandated the leadership “to continue to let the overall interest of the stability of the polity and the protection of our democracy be the main guiding principle in our response to the unfortunate crisis.”
On the subject of the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry the NEC accepted the invitation of the Federal Government to the NLC to participate in a Government-Labour committee to examine the issue. It nominated a committee of seven, led by the President of the Congress, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, to the Government-Labour committee.
It would be recalled that in recent times, the NLC has come under the criticism of many Nigerians for failing to take action concerning critical issues affecting the nation.
The full text of its March 4 NEC communiqué is as follows:
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC) HELD ON THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010 AT THE ASAA PYRAMID HOTEL, KADUNA, KADUNA STATE.
Preamble
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) met at an emergency session on March 4, 2010 in Kaduna. The meeting whose opening session was addressed by the Kaduna State Governor, Arch. Namadi Sambo and the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, was convened by the leadership of Congress generally on the State of the Nation and specifically on the contentious issues surrounding the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
The NEC-in-Session, after due deliberation, arrived at the following resolutions:
A) ON DEREGULATION:
(i) NEC took note of the Federal Government’s invitation for Congress to participate in a Government-Labour committee to further look at the issue of deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
(ii) NEC resolved that it is not opposed to negotiation and dialogue with Government whenever necessary on any issue or policy that has far reaching impact on workers and the Nigerian masses.
(iii) NEC resolved to send Congress top leaders to participate in the Government-Labour committee. Congress delegates to the new committee are to be guided by the NEC resolution of December 15, 2009 when it received the report of the 10-Person Committee on Deregulation.
(iv) NEC consequently nominated the following as Congress representatives on the Government-Labour committee:
i.) Comrade Abdulwahed Omar - President
ii.) Comrade Onikolease Irabor - Deputy President
iii.) Comrade Promise Adewusi - Deputy President
iv.) Comrade Peters Adeyemi - Deputy President
v.) Comrade Issa Aremu - Vice President
vi.) Comrade Ayuba Wabba - National Treasurer
vii.) Comrade John Odah - General Secretary
B) STATE OF THE NATION:
(i) ILL-HEALTH OF PRESIDENT YAR’ADUA
NEC-in-session reviewed the actions taken by the leadership of Congress since its last meeting on the prolonged ill-health of President Yar’adua and endorsed them. NEC mandated the leadership to continue to let the overall interest of the stability of the polity and the protection of our democracy be the main guiding principle in our response to the unfortunate crisis created by the prolonged ill-health of President Yar’adua.
(ii) ON INEC AND PREPARATION FOR 2011 GENERAL ELECTIONS:
NEC reviewed Congress’ campaign for the implementation of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Committee Report on Electoral Reform. It decried the apparent neglect of the process of electoral reform by the National Assembly, even as the 2011 general elections are fast approaching.
NEC resolved that urgent action needs to be taken to show that both the Executive and the Legislature are genuinely working to prevent a repeat of the disaster that was the 2007 general elections and the subsequent by-elections since then.
In this respect and in the light of the recent failing of INEC during the Anambra governorship election, NEC-in-Session resolved that it is of utmost importance that Maurice Iwu must be removed as the Chief Electoral Officer of the Federation. NEC is of the view that he has inflicted enough damage on the electoral integrity of the nation that all patriots must work to have him removed and prevented from presiding over preparations of the next general elections.
The leadership of Congress was therefore mandated to convey this to the Acting President and the leadership of the National Assembly. The Congress leadership was similarly mandated to fix a date for national mass action to drive home our point that Maurice Iwu must go as INEC boss.
NEC-in-session resolved that immediate steps be taken to begin the process of updating and cleansing of the voters register which is the basic foundation upon which any credible election can be conducted. NEC noted this should be of urgent priority given the recent mediocre performance of INEC in Anambra State which led to massive disenfranchisement of voters.
Comrade Abdulwahed Omar Comrade John Odah
President General Secretary
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