NLC Congratulates Jonathan

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday in Abuja congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan on his election and advised him to tackle the growing pauperisation of the citizens.

In a congratulatory statement jointly signed by Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar and Mr. Owei Lakemfa, the President and Acting General Secretary respectively, the NLC said one way of doing this was to invest in the welfare of the citizenry.

The congress stated that such investment was preferable to the rigid “adherence to the so-called market forces.”

It listed mass education and mass employment of the people as other challenges, and added that the New Minimum Wage of N18,000 and the General Wage Review were immediate tasks needed to reduce poverty and want among the populace.

NLC said the victory of Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo in the 2011 presidential election was well deserved.

“Now that the presidential campaigns and election are over and winners with a clear mandate have emerged, it is time for the country to get back to the more demanding and serious task of governance.

“We urge President Jonathan to be president to all, as he has promised.”

The congress urged the defeated candidates to concede defeat and congratulate the winners and also contribute to national development rather than become symbols of intolerance and strife.

“It also congratulated the Nigerian populace for exercising without fear their fundamental right to elect leaders of their choice.

“We also want to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission for being truly independent and giving the country one of the fairest, freest and most democratic elections,” the statement said.

It, however, condemned the spate of violence by some aggrieved persons and called for calm across the country.

The NLC also called on all Nigerians to participate en masse and peacefully in the remaining elections.