The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has reiterated that no governor has the authority to ban labour unions, emphasizing that union practices fall under the exclusive legislative list of the Nigerian Constitution.
Ajaero’s comments came in response to the recent proscription of labour unions in state-owned tertiary institutions by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello. Speaking at a town hall meeting with workers at the NLC Secretariat in Lokoja, the state capital, Ajaero stated, “Union practice is part of the exclusive legislative list in the Constitution. No governor has the power to ban them. You can’t ban what you don’t control.”
He further explained that unions are registered nationally by the Registrar of Trade Unions and may establish state branches for administrative convenience, adding, “So what exactly are you banning?”
The NLC president expressed surprise over the proscription, asserting that the state government had no legal right to outlaw unions. He also lamented the growing trend of governors abandoning their states to live permanently in Abuja, leaving the people they were elected to govern facing hardship.
Ajaero noted that the NLC leadership had visited five zones, with Kogi State being the fifth, to address the transportation challenges of workers. He pointed out that during these visits, most governors were absent, often residing in the Federal Capital Territory.
He highlighted that the ongoing economic hardships, including the high cost of living, were taking a toll on workers. Ajaero criticized the government’s consideration of increasing telecom tariffs, which he argued would push workers further into difficulty.
The NLC leadership intends to bring these concerns to the governor, but Ajaero mentioned that it was only in one state where the governor was available to meet with them. “Most governors are in Abuja,” he said, “which affects governance and the people’s connection to their leaders.”
He stressed the importance of effective governance and the need for citizens to feel the dividends of democracy. He added, “If the governor is around, we will pass the concerns to him directly. If he’s not, we’ll pass it to his representative.”
Ajaero noted the significance of Kogi State to the NLC, as it has union leaders serving as both governor and deputy governor. He expressed hope that the town hall meeting would provide an opportunity to interact with Kogi’s leaders to understand what has been accomplished and where improvements were needed.
Earlier, workers in Kogi State raised concerns about the ongoing proscription of unions in Kogi State Polytechnics, Kogi State University, and the State Colleges of Education, Technology, and Nursing. They also outlined other demands, including the non-implementation of annual salary increases, lack of housing for workers, and teacher shortages in primary and junior secondary schools.
