The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has released an updated list of contestants for its re-scheduled delegates conference election, which was marred by crisis and could not be concluded during its disrupted 11th Delegates’ Conference.
Following the crisis that marred the conference and made the election inconclusive, the National Executive Council (NEC) of NLC has fixed Thursday, March 12, 2015 for the conclusion of the conference.
The new list released is a clear departure from the one released and used for the last election, as the numbers of contestants have increased, thus making the election more competitive.
With the new list, two candidates will now be contesting for the position of NLC president, instead of the earlier three candidates. The presidential candidates include Comrade Ajaero Joseph, the General Secretary of Nigeria Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the President, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Comrade Ayuba Wabba.
The president, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Igwe Achese, who was also earlier gunning for the presidency, has stepped down to contest for the position of Deputy President. Other candidates contesting for the available three seats with him are: NASU General Secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi; NURTW President, Comrade Najeem Yasin; Comrade Kiri Mohammed and General Secretary, Textile Workers, Comrade Issa Aremu.
For the position of Vice President, five candidates will be contesting for the available four seats; two candidates are contesting for the single Trustee position; while two candidates are also going for the only seat of Financial Secretary.
While there is no contest for the position of the Treasurer with only one candidate contesting, eight candidates are contesting for available three seats for the position of Auditors.
Meanwhile, Comrade Issa Aremu has warned about impending danger again if certain observations noticed in the list of contestants and accreditation of delegates are not addressed and changed before the elections.
But he quickly added that they were all committed to make sure that the new date of 12th March 2015 is a reality.
“However, if we must ensure a successful election and avoid the crisis that marred the previous election, basic rules and practices guiding elections must be strictly followed. There must be fairness and level-playing field for all contestants,” he added.
Comrade Aremu called on the NLC General Secretary to ensure that the new election would not be marred with the mistake of the past so that the congress can have a free and fair election.
On his warning of the inherent danger, he said: “We raise this point against the background of our observation from the new list of contestants circulated to all industrial unions by the General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Dr Peter Ozo-Eson. The list of contestants did not follow alphabetical order even when the General Secretary clearly stated in the letter dated February 26, 2015 to all the unions that accreditation of delegates will be based on alphabetical order. The contestants’ names were listed in a way that it suggests partisanship.
“It will be recalled that our union was the first, prior to the botched NLC Delegates Conference to raise the danger of possible crisis if basic rules and practices of NLC guiding elections are not followed. We were vindicated through the avoidable crisis that marred that election.
“We warn that all lovers of the labour movement must be interested in what is going on at the NLC.
“Nigerian workers and indeed all Nigerians, labour veterans and friends of labour will not accept another so-called ‘printing errors’ (such as multiple ballot papers for a contestant).
“We really do not want to believe that the General Secretary of NLC, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson is incompetent, dishonest and partisan in such a way that he will refuse to follow the basic rules and practices guiding elections such as listing the names of contestants in alphabetical order.
“We hereby demand that the circulated list of contestants should be withdrawn and a fresh list of contestants arranged in alphabetical order be reissued to all affiliate unions by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). This should also reflect in the ballot papers.
“The NLC General Secretary should stop turning Comrades against Comrades. There should be strict application of basic rules and practices to avoid the ugly experience of the recent past.”
But in his response, the general secretary wondered why Comrade Aremu still made an issue out of this, when he had called him earlier and a legitimate reason was given.
Comrade Ozo-Eson said that the issue of alphabetical order would be reflected in the ballot papers, and explained that the list he made reference to was just a compilation, as namesake contestants would be arranged in alphabetical order in the ballot papers.
He also stated that accreditation of the delegates during the elections will be in the same order.
Comrade Ozo-Eson stated that the congress was working hard and doing everything to ensure that the elections go smoothly and assured that it will be very free and fair.
No comments:
Post a Comment