By: Ahmed Muibat( SIWES Student from Westland Polytechnic)
The Northern Obidients Youth Assembly (NOYA) has issued a stern warning to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), urging the union to steer clear of political matters and concentrate on the well-being of Nigerian workers.
This comes after the NLC criticized Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, for advising the union to avoid interfering in political party affairs.
Hussaini Murkhtar, the Coordinator of NOYA, accused the NLC of overstepping its bounds and using intimidation tactics rather than focusing on its primary responsibility—advocating for workers’ welfare.
Murkhtar also suggested that the NLC’s recent actions reflect an attempt to stifle opposition parties and push for a one-party state, a move that NOYA and the broader Nigerian public are prepared to strongly oppose.
He stressed that the NLC’s core mission is to safeguard workers’ interests, but the union appears to have strayed from this purpose, increasingly entangling itself in political issues.
Murkhtar added that under the leadership of Joe Ajaero, the NLC has prioritized political involvement over negotiating for improved conditions for workers, leading to a deterioration in workers’ welfare.
