NLC bigwigs consult Oshiomhole

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday met with Edo Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, over some critical labour matters facing the country. Oshiomhole was a former president of the NLC.

The NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, who led the team to Benin, said: “we are here to discuss with you.

“This is because this is one place we always get consultancy that is free of charge that we can never get anywhere as far as labour issues are concerned.

“We do hope you will always keep your doors open whenever we knock to say we are coming for consultations, particularly over labour issues.

“We know you are an embodiment of labour issues in the country and it will be a joke to very soon forget your reference point on labour matters in this country,” he said.

Omar said NLC was in Edo to congratulate the governor for his victory and inauguration as second term governor of the state.

Responding, Oshiomhole commended the NLC leadership for supporting him during his re-election bid.

While lauding the role the NLC played in the struggle for the masses, Oshiomhole said: “the NLC speaks not only for the voiceless, but even for those who are unable to speak out on account of conflicting interest’’.

Oshiomhole acknowledged that: “it has been your lot, for example, to speak for business because if the business community doesn’t flourish the first casualties are workers.

“You have had to mobilise public opinion against policies that are injurious to production and lead the campaign to take Nigeria away from a consumer of imported goods to a country that produces goods and services.

“So to that extent I believe you also speak for business and I believe you will continue to do so.

“I am also proud of the fact that at a time our politicians are quite happy to destroy bridges of disunity to play up ethnic and religious issues in the absence of more imaginative ideas.

“It is your lot to keep reminding us that this country must remain one and united country. That our unity is not negotiable,’’ Oshiomhole said.