Don’t truncate democracy, coalition cautions NLC President, Joe Ajaero

…Commends Nigerians for resilience

By Bose Adelaja 

CITIZENS COMPASS— 90 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria, on Tuesday, cautioned Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), to avoid using his office to truncate the democracy that the country has been enjoying for decades.

The Coalition under the agies of the Coalition for Good Governance (CGG), cautioned the NLC President at a world press conference which was held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, and jointly addressed by the Executive Director, Center for Social & Economic Rights (CSER), Nelson Ekujumi with  Co-Convener, Comrade Popoola Ajayi, and Falola Larry from Initiative for Development and Advocacy among others.

Among other issues raised by the Coalition at the press conference was the “recent smear campaigns against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its leadership under the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari. This orchestrated effort to undermine NNPCL’s credibility is deeply concerning and sad.”

The CSOs raised the alarm over plots by some individuals, groups, and organisations to threaten the national security of Nigeria.

They called for a collective effort to ensure peace and tranquillity in Nigeria to fulfill her potential as a beacon of greatness in Africa and the world over.
Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) is an assemblage of over 90 civil societies, non-governmental organisations, and community-based and public interest groups with a focus on promoting good governance and accountability in the country’s body polity.

“At this pivotal moment in our nation’s history, it is imperative that all hands be on deck to ensure peace and tranquillity. Our collective efforts will determine Nigeria’s ability to fulfill its potential as a beacon of greatness not only in Africa but also in the global community.”
They alerted Nigerians to beware of plots against democracy.

“In recent times, we have observed troubling developments that threaten the fabric of our democracy and national security. We stand united today, as the Coalition for Good Governance, to raise alarm over these threats and call on all well-meaning Nigerians to remain vigilant. The attempts by certain actors to undermine democratic institutions and national security under the guise of opportunistic political maneuvering cannot be ignored. We urge Nigerians to resist these divisive tactics and remain steadfast in defending our democracy.”

On the current petrol crisis and economic hardship in the country, the Coalition said,
“let us acknowledge the severe difficulties faced by Nigerians, who have been forced to endure inconveniences at petrol stations and contend with the crippling effects of economic hardships. The scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is a long-standing and regrettable issue that has plagued the tenure of successive governments since 1976. It is a national shame that despite our abundant natural resources, particularly crude oil, we continue to grapple with fuel shortages.

“Nigeria is blessed as the 15th largest producer of crude oil globally and the largest in Africa. Yet, due to mismanagement, corruption, and sabotage, our daily crude oil production has dwindled. From a peak OPEC quota of 2.3 million barrels per day, we now struggle to produce between 1.3-4 million barrels per day, largely due to oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

“Nevertheless, we commend the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking bold steps to combat these issues, especially in confronting oil theft and pipeline vandalism. We call on the government to intensify these efforts and remain vigilant in its pursuit of economic stability and national security.

“We wish to address recent smear campaigns against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its leadership under the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari. This orchestrated effort to undermine NNPCL’s credibility is deeply concerning and sad. Since its transformation into a limited liability company by the PIA in 2021, the NNPCL has fulfilled its role as the supplier of last resort of petroleum products as mandated by Section 64 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), in ensuring energy security for the nation.

“Despite the immense challenges, including the vandalism and sabotage of its pipelines and depots nationwide, NNPCL has continued to play a critical role in ensuring the continued supply of petroleum products to all parts of the country. It is important to note that NNPCL has been forced to bear significant financial burdens, by being the sole importer of fuel into the country due to liquidity crises and foreign exchange challenges which made other stakeholders abandon the business of the importation of PMS. Yet, despite these pressures, NNPCL has remained committed to its mandate of energy security for the country as mandated by the law.”

The Coalition commended the Federal Government for standing tall amid the crisis, “We must commend President Bola Tinubu’s administration for promoting transparency and accountability in NNPCL operations by directing that all crude oil and gas transactions are properly documented and the receipt paid into the coffers of the Central Bank of Nigeria. This level of probity is crucial for restoring faith in Nigeria’s oil industry, which has long been accused of corrupt practices.

“We also applaud President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s patriotic directive to the NNPCL to supply crude oil to the Dangote refinery and other local refineries even amid its production challenges and upfront contractual obligations, as well as the sales of the crude oil to the refinery in our local currency, the Naira.”
Call for functional refineries

“However, it is disgraceful that Nigeria, the largest producer of oil and gas in Africa, does not have fully functional refineries. But we are encouraged by recent developments, particularly the progress of the Dangote Refinery and the revitalization of our national refineries, which we hope will bring an end to our dependency on imported petroleum products and the drain on our scarce foreign resources.”

Way forward

“While we celebrate the Dangote Refinery as a monumental achievement, we are concerned by the lack of transparency regarding the refinery’s cost of production of PMS per litre. Nigerians deserve to know the true cost of this crucial product to ensure fair pricing, transparency, and accountability. Additionally, we question the current logistics strategy for evacuating PMS solely via trucks, which is inefficient and risks further straining our transportation infrastructure. We urge the government to implement alternative logistics solutions, such as rail and water transportation to improve efficiency, create jobs and wealth, sustain existing ones, and bolster national security.”
On invitation of the NLC President for questioning, the Coalition has this to say,

“We express deep concern over the actions of Mr. Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), regarding his invitation for questioning by the Nigeria Police Force for suspected links to alleged terrorism, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, treasonable felony and the fleeing Briton who is a tenant of the NLC headquarters building in Abuja and has been declared wanted for the alleged crime of treasonable felony of instigating and financing plots to unseat a legitimately elected democratic government by means other than through the ballot box as prescribed by law.

“However, it is not lost on us that Mr. Joe Ajaero, a key politician whose party and candidate lost the 2023 presidential elections is still playing politics and abusing his office as the president of the NLC to drag the name of the organisation into his personal issue in an attempt to frustrate his being held accountable for alleged acts that threaten our democracy and national security.

“The security of life and property of Nigerians is paramount and the reason d’etre of government, and the NLC must be admonished not to politicize such a grave matter. Rather than cooperating with the Nigeria Police Force to address these allegations, Mr. Ajaero has attempted to undermine the law, a move we find reprehensible and condemnable.”
Coalition commends Nigerians

“in closing, we commend the resilience and perseverance of the Nigerian people during these difficult times to which no one is immune. While the challenges we face are significant and can only be surmounted by concerted efforts, we must not lose hope or succumb to fear or incitement to provoke a breach of law and order. Instead, let us continue to work together for the peace, progress, and prosperity of our nation. Let us remain vigilant against those who seek to destabilize our democracy for personal or political gain.”

Among the demands of the Coalition were: “We call on NNPCL to remain focused on its mandate and resist any politically motivated distractions.

“We demand that the Dangote Refinery disclose the actual cost of PMS production per litre at its refinery for transparency and accountability.

“We insist that Mr. Joe Ajaero and the NLC refrain from using the Nigerian worker’s platform to jeopardize national security and instead cooperate fully with the law enforcement agencies and focus on its mandate to ensure better welfare for Nigerian workers.

“We call on the Nigerian state to reconsider the sustainability of the retention of a central labour centre in the country.

“We urge the Nigeria Police Force not to succumb to the campaign of blackmail and calumny against it, but to remain steadfast and professional in the discharge of its statutory duty to maintain law and order.”