Briga News Nigeria
The organised Labour Unions, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Saturday vowed that they would embark on the nationwide strike on October 3, 2023.
The union in its 63 Independence anniversary message charged Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic, religious and political differences, to join the nationwide strike.
The labour unions charged royal fathers and other well-meaning Nigerians to advise the government to listen to labour and lessen the suffering across the country.
The unions stated, “This nation can work for all of us. This nation can be made beautiful but good things do not just happen; they are worked out. Liberty is not a ripe fruit that falls to the ground on its own accord. With our hands joined together as the owners of Nigeria, in truth and one heart, we can work for our freedom. Let us awaken this giant and make it work for us.”
In an independent anniversary message titled Nigeria: ‘The travails of a mismanaged giant’, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said the struggle from October 3 is for Nigeria to rise and shine once more as a beacon of hope and prosperity for all its citizens.
Ajaero noted that Nigeria, with all its flaws at conception, possesses a great potential to be amongst the best economies of the world.
The statement reads, “As we mark this Independence Day, let us do so with a renewed sense of purpose. Let us acknowledge our past, confront our present challenges, and collectively work towards a brighter future for Nigeria.
“Together, we can reclaim the greatness that has eluded us for too long. It is time for Nigeria to rise and shine once more as a beacon of hope and prosperity for all its citizens. Remember, when we stand as one refusing to be divided, we will triumph. We call on all Nigerians to join us on the 3rd day of October around Nigeria to begin our march to freedom through the indefinite nationwide strike.
“To this end, the Nigeria Labour Congress beckons on all of us to join hands from all parts of the nation; the North, the East, the West and the South to build the needed coalition to make our nation truly an independent nation.
“As we celebrate Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary, it is important that we draw our attention to the fact that this nation was once a great nation filled with great hope inspired by great leaders until inept and corrupt leaders took over the helms of affairs and ran the country aground. The crisis of leadership is truly the crisis of our national development.
“The continued mismanagement of our resources has made it difficult for us as a nation and as a people to make sustainable progress rather, we have continued to march backwards with every preceding year looking worse than the previous one.
“Regrettably, the decades that followed were marked by a series of missteps, mismanagement, and missed opportunities. The erosion of ethical governance, rampant corruption, and political instability became defining features of our nation. Instead of harnessing our potential for the collective good, our leaders often pursued personal interests, leaving the masses to grapple with the consequences.
“There is no other way to explain the fact that about 43 years ago, Nigeria had a vibrant Airline called Nigeria Airways with a large fleet of Aircraft flying to several parts of the globe and owning large properties which span almost half of Ikeja GRA and in London and capital cities of Europe. We had a national Shipping line that had in its fleet several Vessels which competed favourably with other shipping lines all over the world.
“Yet, as a nation, we have managed to deliberately become a nation with neither a national Airline nor a national shipping line. We became a nation that derives happiness in making a mockery of ourselves as was typified by the Nigeria Air debacle where we had to fake the ownership.
