The new year no doubt brings a lot of expectations for Nigerians, more so when 2011 is a decisive year when the citizens must determine through poll who would lead the country in the next four years. It is a crucial task which must not be done with levity.
Nigerians cannot say the present democracy is what we bargained for when we all took to the streets some years back and ensure the military were forced back to the barracks.
Trade Union Congress President General, Comrade Peter Esele in this write up tries to reflect on the expectations from both the government and the governed to make the year 2011 the best ever for the nation.
As a nation, we have faced difficult times in the past year. 2010 has indeed been a year of great challenges for many of us particularly in relation to the worsening state of our economy, raising rate of unemployment, total breakdown of all social infrastructure and national institutions.
It is however my hope – and I know that it is the hope of many – that the year 2011 will somehow represent a new beginning for the entire nation. The end of one year and the beginning of another is always a time for reflection. We reflect on what we have done right and done wrong in the past year and the ways in which we may improve in the coming year. With the current state of affairs in our country, we need to do more of this kind of reflection and introspection both personally and as a people. This is very important if we are to chart a better way forward and have a brighter future. As a labour centre we therefore expect the federal government to act on the following burning issues;
Minimum wage
We appeal to National Assembly to ensure that the new minimum wage is passed into law within the first quarter of 2011 to avoid industrial crises which consequences may portend danger for the economy and 2011 general elections.
2011 general elections
We have always harped on the need for credible elections in 2011, deepening of internal democracy in the political parties system, and the right of every Nigerian to play active part in the nation’s electoral systems. It is in line with this that we respectfully appeal to all Nigerians who are 18 years and above to demonstrate their faith in the country by ensuring that they register in the 2011 voters registration exercise coming from 15th of January 2011 and also come out to vote during the elections.
TUC also reminds all political parties, candidates and their campaigns coordinators to be guided by the rules of the game in their utterances, activities and campaigns and most importantly to focus on issue based campaigns.
The recent discoveries of large cache of arms imported into the country, the bomb explosions in various parts of the country in 2010 and the theft of the INEC Direct Data Capture Machines raises deep concerns as to whether the 2011 elections would not be marred by large scale violence.
We therefore call on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR to do everything within his power to assure Nigerians that the 2011 elections would not be marred by violence and insecurity. We therefore demand the criminalization of election rigging and prosecution of suspected electoral offenders.
Transportation
While commending the spirit behind government decision to rehabilitate the Nigerian Railway system, we are however at sea as to why the exercise is shrouded with so much misery and the contractor’s desires to use outdated coaches, when the rail sector in other parts of the world are at their best. Modernizing our rail will take away pressures on our roads and provide jobs for our youths.
At this century what Nigerians desires is a rail in the mould of the Euro- star, and the Japanese rail system .our rail should copy current development the world over.
Manufacturing sector
In the manufacturing sector, Nigerians can celebrate the reopening of three textile mills in Kaduna that had previously been closed including the United Nigeria Textile Mills Ltd, which has reopened as a result of it accessing from the 200 billion Naira Textile Industry Bail out Funds. This has led to the re engagement of 2000 workers that had been laid off when the company went out of business. TUC commends the government for this and urge that the same gesture be extended to other important sectors of the economy.
Education
We commend federal government provision of 933 billion Naira in the proposed budget in the 2011 for the education sector, a sector which had less than a third of that amount (N249.08 billion Naira) allocated to it last year. In addition, we celebrate with states with one new Federal University recently announced by the government. We however warn that these universities must be well funded, while the same care should be extended to the older ones.
Foreign affairs
In the arena of foreign affairs, Nigeria can celebrate recent successes in diplomacy in the handling of the arms seizure from Iran, containing the crisis in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and our pro democratic efforts in Niger Republic. However, we expect that our foreign relations should be anchored on what will drive and protect our citizens anywhere they may choose to reside.
Energy sector
TUC expects the government to immediately revoke the licenses issued to unserious companies and individuals for the construction of private refineries in the county and re-issue them to those with the financial capacity and technical abilities. This will go along way to sustain the gains already recorded in the sector under the present dispensation. Also all ongoing power plants should be holistically pursued so as to restore the country as a leading industrial base on the west coast.
Agriculture
We expect this sector to play a major role in our fight against unemployment and therefore call on the various governments to maximize the nation’s abundant in land by engaging it fully for the benefits of all. States should be encouraged to engage actively in the production of items they have comparative advantages.
Bombings and killings in Jos, Bayelsa, Borno, Oyo and Abia
We condemn completely the Christmas’ eve bomb blasts in Jos, Plateau State and burning of churches and killing of worshippers in Maiduguri, Borno State and the politically motivated bomb blast at a rally in yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. As well as the confusion and tension in Ibadan the Oyo State capital following the killing of the ousted chairman of the state National Union of Road Transport Worker, NURTW, Alhaji Lateef Salako, popularly known as Eleweomo.
There is also the case of the gruesome murder of a human rights leader Chidi Nwosu, president of Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation, a group campaigning against rights abuses in Abia state. We call on the Federal Government and the relevant State Governments to fish out the perpetrators of these dastardly acts and bring them to justice. We want to restate our position that violence and the killing of fellow countrymen is not the solution to any misunderstanding or grievance, rather it leads to more violence. as violence begets violence.
Furthermore, TUC demands that officers and men of all security operatives, including the Nigerian Police should be retrained on the acts of intelligent gathering which is what modern day policing is anchored on. The open day trotting of AK-47 raffles by the police does not in any way fight crime, but rather has further portrayed us people under siege. Finally, may the symbolism of a New Year represent a new beginning, a rekindling of our spirit; and a renewal of our strength. May it signal a recommitment to growth of the nation.
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