By Victor Ahiuma-Young
The simmering tension within Nigeria’s labour movement has taken a new turn as the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has come out in defence of former NLC President, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, following a recent attack on him by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.
Read Also: Dangote/ PENGASSAN: Oshiomhole is Judas Iscariot of working class – NUPENG
The textile union, in a statement by its President and General Secretary, Peters Godonu and Ali Baba, respectively, described NUPENG’s comments against Oshiomhole as “unnecessary and unwarranted”
The union insisted that the former NLC leader acted patriotically in his remarks on the ongoing dispute between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN.
“As an affiliate of NLC, we wish to express our deep concern over the recent unwarranted statement by the leadership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, attacking the former General Secretary of our union and two-term President of NLC Adams Oshiomhole, following his patriotic comments and advice on the dispute between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN.
“We wish to strongly state that as a respected leader of Nigeria’s labour movement, former General Secretary of one of the most organized private sector unions in Africa which our union represents, two term President of NLC, former member of the Governing Board of the International Labour Organisation, ILO, former Edo State governor, former Chairman of the ruling political party, the APC and currently a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
“Oshiomhole has every right and indeed a responsibility to speak on matters affecting workers, industrial relations, and the nation’s economy.
“His intervention on the Dangote-PENGASSAN dispute was clearly in the interest of industrial peace, national productivity, and the protection of workers’ rights within the framework of dialogue and mutual respect.
“We strongly condemn any form of personal attack or abuse directed at Comrade Oshiomhole, whose decades of selfless service to the labour movement and the Nigerian working class remain exemplary.
“Disagreements within the labour family should never degenerate into disrespect for leaders who have sacrificed greatly for the cause of workers.
“We urge the leadership of NUPENG in particular and all our colleagues in the oil and gas sector to exercise restraint, uphold the values of solidarity and internal consultation that define the labour movement, and focus on resolving the underlying industrial issues through established mechanisms rather than resorting to public attacks on elder comrades.
“The labour movement must remain united and disciplined in defending workers’ interests in the face of growing national economic challenges.
“Personal attacks only weaken our collective strength and distract from the real issues confronting workers.
“Our union stands firmly with Adams Oshiomhole.
“We reaffirm our unwavering respect for his legacy of principled leadership, courage, and commitment to the Nigerian working class, even as we conclude arrangement for the official renaming of our union’s national secretariat building in Kaduna in his honour in recognition of his outstanding leadership and service to workers, the labour movement and our dear nation.”
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