The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, on Monday emphasized that no governor has the constitutional authority to ban labour unions, noting that union activities are listed under the exclusive legislative list in the Nigerian Constitution.
Ajaero expressed his concerns during a town hall meeting with workers at the NLC Secretariat in Lokoja, Kogi State.
He was reacting to the proscription of labour unions in state-owned tertiary institutions by the administration of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
“Union practice falls under the exclusive legislative list in the Constitution,” Ajaero said. “No governor has the power to ban them. You don’t ban what you don’t have control over. Unions are registered nationally by the Registrar of Trade Unions. For administrative convenience, they may choose to have branches in states, so what are you now banning?”
He further expressed shock that such a practice exists in Kogi State, stressing that the state government lacked the constitutional authority to proscribe unions.
Ajaero lamented that many state governors have abandoned their duties by residing permanently in Abuja, leaving their states without proper governance.
He noted that such absenteeism has negatively affected governance, with citizens left to bear the brunt of hardship and poor leadership.
The NLC President revealed that the congress leadership was in Kogi to commission 10 Compressed Natural Gas buses for the state chapter to help alleviate transportation challenges faced by workers.
However, he regretted that most governors were often unavailable during his visits to different states.
“We’ve been to about five zones now, and Kogi is the fifth. Sadly, we have met governors in only one state. Whenever you go there, they are in Abuja. This is affecting governance,” Ajaero stated. “We should manage both the centre and the units properly so people can feel the impact of democracy. If the governor is available, we will convey your demands directly to him. If not, we will pass the message to his representative.”
Highlighting Kogi State’s strategic importance to the NLC, Ajaero noted that the governor, Usman Ododo, and his deputy both have strong ties to the labour movement.
Ododo was an NLC official in Niger State, while his deputy was a former leader of the Nigeria Union of Teachers.
“For us, this is a homecoming. We want to interact and find out if they are doing the things we criticize others for not doing,” he said.
During the meeting, workers revealed that for over a decade, unions in Kogi State Polytechnic, Kogi State University, and other state-owned colleges of education, technology, and nursing have been under proscription.
They also listed several unresolved issues, including the lack of annual salary increases, inadequate housing for workers, and a severe shortage of teachers in primary and junior secondary schools.
The workers called on the NLC to intervene in these matters and ensure their demands are addressed by the state government.
