A Labour Party’s House of Representatives aspirant from the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Ayo Ademiluyi has stated that the Nigerian masses can no longer depend on the labour unions – the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress – on the fight against the fuel subsidy removal.
Ademiluyi added on Wednesday that the new betrayal by the NLC and TUC had only confirmed that their ideological acceptance of the fuel subsidy removal in the first instance, while claiming to be "fighting for concessions".
The LP aspirant in his state of the nation press release noted that it was on record that the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, much supported by the NLC and the TUC already promised to remove subsidy as soon as he was brought into power.
For Ademiluyi, hence, the labour unions had already compromised the fate of millions of the Nigerian masses.
He said, “As we are all aware, the newly inaugurated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu -led regime at the Inauguration Ceremony in his Inaugural Speech declared removal of subsidy.
“Following this savage attack on the living conditions, prices of fuel have gone up. Added to this is the fact that prices of food and other staple items have gone up astronomically.
“Few days to a declared indefinite general strike, the Nigeria Labour Congress has suspended the strike action yesterday following a meeting with President Tinubu alongside the Trade Union Congress.
“The suspension of the indefinite general strike does not come as a susprise as the initial statement of the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress in reaction to the fuel subsidy removal is an ideological acceptance of the fuel subsidy removal in the first instance, while claiming to be "fighting for concessions".
“By this new betrayal, the central bureaucracy of the Labour movement has confirmed once again that they cannot be relied on by rank and file working class elements in the struggle to settle accounts with their rapacious ruling elite.
“STATE OF LABOUR PARTY - I cannot proceed in my commentary on the fuel subsidy removal without commenting on the current state of Labour Party as a whole.
“It is on record that Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party equally promised to remove subsidy as soon as he is brought into power. Without fail, he would have equally implemented the fuel subsidy removal just as Tinubu has done.
“The Labour Party is a party formed with the money of the sweat of rank and file workers. It should not be a home for out and out pro-imperialist elements like Peter Obi who have no axe to grind with the neo-liberal policies such as fuel subsidy removal.
“Despite the overwhelming enthusiasm Mr. Peter Obi receives from his followers , popularly called the Obidients, he shares a different class background from Mr. Peter Obi, who is a clear member of the ruling class.
“In my vociferous critique of Obi and his perspectives, I am not holding brief for the Apampa-led faction of the Labour Party , which have shown obvious orientation to the newly inaugurated Tinubu-led Regime.
“I want to put on record that the quartet of JULIUS ABURE, IBRAHIM FAROUK , AKINGBADE OYENEKAN and ABAYOMI ARAMBABI as purported National Chairman , National Secretary, National Legal Adviser and National Publicity Secretary were the ones who sold my mandate to the highest bidder. What has split them is just sharing of the loot.
“I want to assert that the categorical support given by the central leadership of the NLC and TUC to a pro-imperialist element like Peter Obi on the platform of the Labour Party in the last 2023 general elections is the biggest betrayal of its rank and file since 1964.
“By historical comparison, 1964 and 2023 have a lot in common. The labour bureaucrats of that era queued workers up behind different right-wing ruling class elements. The consequence was the bloody 1965 General Elections as comparable to the last 2023 general elections, a military coup de'tat in 1966 and the bloody civil war years of 1967 to 1970.
“Regrettably and unwittingly, the class collaborationist central leaderships of the two labour centres and the right-wing populist Labourists that have taken over the Labour Party is driving rank and file working people down the road of the 60s.
“To avert this looming disaster, I will stand up and speak up in the National Assembly against all anti-masses neo-liberal policies and I am also prepared to provide leadership to a concerted nationwide mass movement against all wings of the capitalist ruling class , including the ones in the Labour Party.”
“In the National Assembly, I will advocate for nationalisation of the commanding heights of the economy under Democratic workers' control. As I have already pledged, I will provide leadership to a concerted nationwide mass movement against fuel subsidy removal linked to the socialist alternative of nationalisation of commanding heights of the economy, which is the permanent solution to the fuel crisis,” he added.