President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has said that the labour union would disown the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, if he adopted the policies of the International Monetary Fund, (IMF), and the World Bank if elected Nigeria’s President.
The NLC president made this statement on Tuesday while speaking in an interview with Channels Television.
Ajaero, who described the position of the NLC on the removal of petrol subsidy and electricity subsidy as ‘fixated,’ also added that the labour union would have it tough with any Labour Party president who implements the policies of the IMF.
The NLC President said, “He (Obi) is the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, but does he own the NLC or the Labour Party? Why can’t you separate them?
“Whoever is the presidential candidate or official of the Labour Party must buy into our projects. If he says he was going to undertake those policies, let him be elected and try such policies.
“Whether a presidential candidate of a party that Labour forms would dictate for Labour? The answer is known to everybody. The policies of Labour, the ideologies of Labour are clear and we are going to pursue it.”
On April 3, 2024, NERC raised electricity tariff for customers enjoying 20 hours power supply daily.
The increase saw customers paying N225 kilowatts per hour from the current N66, a development that has been met with criticism by many Nigerians.
NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, subsequently picketed NERC offices and discos on Monday to press home their demands.
But, Ajaero kicked against the “politics of reduction” embarked upon by NERC in recent times.
He said reduction after tariff increase won’t stand, insisting that NERC and discos must first reverse the tariff to the old rates and come to the negotiation table with labour unions and other stakeholders on an agreeable way forward.
