OPEN LETTER TO NLC NATIONAL PRESIDENT COMRADE AYUBA WABBA ON HIS PLANS TO STORM NASARAWA STATE IN PROTEST WITH HIS NATIONAL CONGRESS COME TUESDAY 23 AUGUST, 2016.

By Nasiru Abdullahi

Recent incidents in Nasarawa state have left the state even more fragile than ever following the unfortunate loss of lives in the ongoing Labour/government dispute. It will be recall that couple of months ago organized labour in the state called for industrial action over what the state government termed as worker's bonus slash due to the current economic recession and dwindling of petroleum prices at the global market. As one of the states in the country that almost depend on just the federal government subventions, had to adjust and resort to cost-cutting, fiscal discipline among other measures to ensuring the little finances accrued to the state and the meager IGR are judiciously utilized in paying workers’ salaries and providing other basic social needs of the people. These bonuses slash development led to an industrial action by organized labour in the state. The dispute also attracted the attention of the National congress of the NLC led by Comr. Ayuba Wabba who came to Nasarawa state on a conciliatory delegation. This conciliation was to bring a solution and put to rest the ongoing dispute but instead they brought with them the spirit of violence and death to our dear state.

Permit me to give a background of what happened at the gate of Nasarawa state Government house in Lafia where the ugly incident occurred. Governor Al-Makura was at a meeting with the delegations from the National Congress led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba and the leadership of the organized labour in the state to discuss a way forward to the lingering labour dispute. But while the meeting was going on some labour members whom were not part of the delegation was at the gate trying to gain access to the government house chanting some songs but the security at the gate refused them access because they were not part of the Mediation team. The protesting workers refused to leave the premises even though the instructions according to report was for them to remain at the labour house and wait for the outcome of Comr. Wabba's mediation team. Yet the workers defied this instruction by their leaders and stormed the government house. It was an action that was considered by many as an act of insordination, lack of discipline and respect for leadership as well as lack of regards for the rule of law. The protest at the government house was not only criminal but was against the law, because reports have it that they were no official approval for that protest from the state police command. This illegal act led to a shooting when a government official was attacked and his car mutilated by these protesting workers as he came late with his car and was trying to gain access to the government house. While this was going on, some miscreants who were among the protesting workers seized the opportunity and attacked late Rabiu Mohammed Hamza (may his soul rest in peace) with an object according to medical report, causing a serious damage to his brain and later died at the National Hospital in Abuja. Very important to note is the attack of late Rabiu Mohammed Hamza, and the big question here is why late Rabiu Mohammed Hamza Out of a crowd of hundreds? And the answer is not farfetched, as we believe is because the young man's older brother is a prominent figure in the Al-Makura administration and they were trying to get to him by hurting his younger brother. And this leaves us with the question as thus; why was he ( late Rabiu Mohammed Hamza) the only one that was attacked in such marmot crowd of protesters if it was not a calculated attempt? This is why most people in the state believed the young man was murdered by some evil-fated minds who took over the protest to perpetrate their long nurtured hate and evil.

Therefore we are calling on Comr. Wabba to refrain from his plans to storm Nasarawa for a protest as the danger it possess to the good people of Nasarawa state is far greater than what you stand to achieve, especially given the situation the last protest left us with. Nasarawa state has had its fair share of violence in recent past and would not like or encourage anyone or anything that would trigger any further violence in the state. Please don’t try to give these miscreant and enemies of peace and development the opportunity to perpetrate more of their evil plans.

Comrade Sir, please note that they are standard grievance procedures to follow in fighting for the right of workers. Protest or solidarity or whatever you call it isn't the best means to what you seek for your fellow workers in Nasarawa state or anywhere in the country. It is high time as a people we play by the rule if we sincerely and genuinely mean well for this country. The labour Act has clearly stated that when workers are aggrieved, they should follow the appropriate grievance procedures before going for strike. And most grievances can be withdrawn, forgotten, settled or compromised as they progress through the grievance procedure. So if the leadership of NLC is interested in settling the ongoing dispute, then it should respect the stands of the labour Act whose aims are to accommodate, reconcile and often time compromise the conflicting interests of both the government and labour and also facilitates the possibility of an enabling ground for the two sides to work together harmoniously.

Sir, if you really love Nasarawa state workers and feel aggrieved for the lives lost at the last protest during your last visit, then you should do the needful rather than causing more harm to us. You may still come as conciliator/mediator but with sincerity of purpose. Or you may wish to urge Nasarawa state organized labour to follow the appropriate procedure in a bid to bringing this unnecessary strike to an end. As strikes are expected to be instrument of last resort by labour after all avenues are exhausted. Which reverse is the case in Nasarawa state. Sometimes it makes one wonder why the call for incessant strike on every other disagreement labour has with the government.

Come to think of it, what justification has labour on the ongoing strike? Having studied the reasons for the ongoing dispute and the facts provided by government and labours’ argument, the following questions linger in my mind yearning for sincere answers from the organized labour. The questions are thus;

1. Did Nasarawa state government violated the National minimum wage Act in the course of its bonus slash?
2. Is Nasarawa state government paying below the stipulated N18, 000 minimum wage?
3. Is the worker's bonus slash necessary or not? If not why not?
4. What was the real reason for comrade Wabba's previous visit to Nasarawa state? Was it to stage a protest or it was for mediation on the ongoing labour/Government dispute?
5. If it was for mediation, what then took the protesters to the Government house when their leaders were already mediating for them?
6. Was the instructions of the labour leadership not clear enough for the protesters that they were not to come to government house but to stay at the labour house while they negotiate with government for them?
7. So who do we really blame for the unfortunate, unnecessary and avoidable incident that led to the loss of lives in Nasarawa state?
8. The second labour worker in person of late Rabiu Mohammed Hamza was evidently heat with an object by some miscreants from the crowd of protesting workers that caused him severe injury in the brain according to medical report. Now the big question is; do you wish give this miscreants and evil plotters in our state another opportunity to unleash even more evils on innocent citizens in the state?

All these questions above seek for answers from Comrade Ayuba Wabba and the National congress and I urge labour to ponder over them and see reason why this protest plans needs to be aborted with immediate effect as the are better ways to wade in to the dispute and resolve it without having to fuel it unnecessarily. Therefore, we are urging the National congress to encourage the use of appropriate grievance procedure as provided by the labour Act as given below;

1. Set up a good office or conciliatory committee or team to meet with both organized labour and Nasarawa state government with the aim to broker peace and settling the dispute between the two parties. And if that did not yield results, you can then move to the industrial Arbitration panel (IAP) a tripartite agency setup under section 7 of the Trade Dispute Panel Decree of 1969.

2. The IAP comprises of chairman, his deputy, and twelve other members. Four of whom are nominated equally by both labour and employer (government) with a 21days time span within which it’s expected to give its award unless an extension is granted. Arbitration is believed to be the ultimate means of achieving a strong and binding settlement of labour disputes after all other procedures have been reached or exhausted. Both parties are expected to agree in advance to be bound by the decisions of a neutral arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators, and that's why it's sometimes referred to as a semi-judicial means of settling disputes. This is a method that often provides a way out of deadlock.

So, Comrade Wabba, for the interest of peace, for the sake of innocent lives that are likely to be shattered in your proposed protest and for the sake of way forward. On behalf of the good people of Nasarawa state both young and the senile, we urge you to use this appropriate grievance procedure above as provided by the labour Act in settling the current dispute in Nasarawa state rather than protest. However, should you refuse to heed to our sincere advise and go ahead with your plans to storm Nasarawa state and something bad eventually happens, then the people of Nasarawa state will not forgive you and we shall take legal action against you and your National congress. As nobody is above the law. Thank you.

Long live Nasarawa state! Long live Federal republic of Nigeria!
Email: chairmenforumabusrc@gmail.com
Twitter: @General_Nas101