•Joe Ajaero
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, yesterday, faulted the federal government for attempting to deny workers the freedom to seek better jobs abroad in the face of poor working environment in the country.
This was as the National President of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Comrade Michael Nnachi tasked leaders with selfless service in their official engagements, reports Vanguard.
Both spoke separately in Abuja, yesterday while delivering speeches at the 8th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of NANNM.
Ajaero, who hailed NANNM’s leadership over how it handled issues of the certificate portal’s closure by the federal government, insisted that the government was wrong to have made efforts to deny workers their legitimate right to seek greener pastures abroad in the face of the poor working conditions workers in the country are faced with.
In a veiled reference to the federal government, the NLC boss said: “We commend the exemplary action your leadership took over the issues of the certificate verification portal which was closed in an attempt to scuttle the freedom of Nurses and Midwives to access better opportunities wherever they may exist in the world.
“You cannot refuse to pay us decent wages and insist on forcefully keeping us. This is another shape of slavery! It bears testament to the importance of unity of purpose and its triumph over the forces that seek to continue exploiting and emasculating workers.
“It speaks to the continuing need for constant vigilance on our part to interrogate all the powers that seek to undermine our rights as workers and as a trade union movement.”
However, he seized the opportunity to remind them to guard jealously the unity which they have been able to build for themselves and the subsequent peace and stability which he noted pervades their union today.
According to him, “These are essential cornerstones upon which the edifice of progress and change is built.
“It is only when we stand together, shoulder to shoulder, that we find the strength to weather the storms that may come our way. United, we are an unyielding force, capable of influencing the course of history in favour of the working people and building a future for our nation which will be the envy of other nations.
“Today, the nation’s macro-economic indices are all heading down south without any letting. Electricity tariff has gone up making power almost inaccessible to a greater number of our citizens. Petrol prices have gone through the roof and are nearly impossible for an average Nigerian to afford. Transportation has thus become difficult leading to never–seen levels of food scarcity and hunger in the country.
“That unfortunately has become our lot and that has become what the majority of Nigerians look up to us to ameliorate. Comrades, we need your unity and your strength if we are to creatively engage these forces and make governance work for a greater number of workers and people.
“As it is today, our choices are very limited. It is either we find a way to collectively overcome the forces that are bent on keeping us down as a people or we completely surrender to them while wringing our hands in hopelessness.
“The forces of neoliberalism must be challenged and the trade union movement remains the only viable force in Nigeria and the world that can creatively engage it and mitigate its stranglehold on our nation.
“We must offer strong counterpoise to their prebendal logic and must proffer newer arguments to triumph over their quest for profit at the detriment of the social will. It is only by remaining strong and united that we can hope to achieve that.
“It is sad but we cannot afford to keep our public refineries shut while still importing refined petroleum products. We demand a review of our salaries instead of its eroded values. We must together demand the recommissioning of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries in keeping with the agreement we had with the federal government on the 5th day of October 2023,” he added.
Ajaero called on the new NANNM’s leadership to remember that their role was critical to securing the welfare of their healthcare workers.
“True leadership transcends titles and positions; it is reflected in the impact you have on the lives of those you serve. Advocating for fair working conditions, championing healthcare workers’ rights, and striving for equity are not just duties—they are the marks of meaningful leadership. We pledge to stand with you at all times no matter the situation. Make better use of your two worthy ambassadors in the National Administrative Council (NAC) of the NLC,” he tasked them.
On his part , Comrade Michael Nnachi, who noted that the 8th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference, marking the end of the existing leadership tenure on October 31, 2024, having been in office from January 2021, expressed gratitude to members for their support to sustain the administrative activities of the nursing and midwifery professional body.
“I wish to thank and appreciate the outgoing leadership for their various roles and contributions to our professional Association in the last forty-five months. I wish you the best in any area of your future endeavour. Your efforts cannot be taken for granted. I urge you to remain a good ambassador of NANNM wherever you may find yourself. Be disposed to give a helping hand when consulted because Leadership is all about service to humanity,” he said.
Nnachi, however, regretted that, “In the last few months, the social media, particularly Nursing platforms have been inundated with all sorts of unfriendly words, hate speech, campaigns of calumny, sycophancy, propaganda, ethnic bigotry, character defamation, inexperienced comments, litany of petitions, falsification of statements, and other unpopular activities which are capable of damaging the image of leaders.
“As leaders we should be concerned with the impact of the society on our members, the welfare of our members and staff as well as how we can engage government to provide better conditions of service for Nigeria Nurses and midwives to render their indispensable roles and responsibilities to achieve better patient outcome,” he added.
While asking those contesting election into the union’s leadership positions not to see the poll as a do or die affair regardless of any interest or inordinate ambition, he said,”An election should be seen as a democratic process in which delegates vote to choose a person or group of persons to hold an important official position(s) in trust within a specified constitutional period. “
“An election is expected to be hitch-free, peaceful, fair, and credible to create enabling environment for effective and efficient performance as well as achievements.
“The purpose of any leadership should be to promote, protect and work hard towards achievement of organizational goals or objectives for the good of members, the staff, and the organization. Any act contrary to the objectives, is a clear sabotage to the organization’s aspiration.
“The entity, NANNM is governed by the contents and provisions of the Constitution which contestants, delegates, and returning officers must strictly adhere to, regardless of any personal or group interest, ethnic or other sentiment, which will be strongly viewed as a breach of the Constitution (whether reported or not) or an act of sabotage to the organisation,” he further said.
