The Labour Party (LP) has declined to comment on accusations made by Concerned Nigerian Patriots (CNP) that it is colluding with organized labour to destabilize the country under the guise of advocating for a minimum wage of N250,000.
Alhaji Alfa Mohammed, leader of the Concerned Nigerian Patriots (CNP), accused the coalition of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Labour Party (LP) of exploiting current economic challenges to orchestrate strikes and disruptions, including a recent shutdown of vital national infrastructure that impacted the livelihoods of millions of people, during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
When contacted, LP’s national publicity secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifo, declined to comment on the issue.
The CNP warned that Nigeria risks plunging into an economic recession exacerbating the economic challenges that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has been diligently working to overcome.
CNP specifically accused the organised labour of working in cahoots with the Labour Party (LP) and members of the Obidients movement to provoke public unrest and destabilise the government
CNP accused the coalition of leveraging temporary economic hardships stemming from necessary economic reforms to call for strikes, including a recent shutdown
CNP accused the coalition of leveraging temporary economic hardships stemming from necessary economic reforms to call for strikes, including a recent shutdown of critical national infrastructure affecting the livelihoods of millions.
“By advocating for a wage increase that is not financially viable, they risk inciting chaos and anarchy, which could undermine our hard-earned democracy,” they alleged.
“Their plan includes a total shutdown of essential infrastructure under the guise of fighting for a living wage, potentially crippling the nation’s economy and disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable citizens.
“It is important to note that this coalition, which supported Mr. Peter Obi in the last presidential election, is now inherently a threat to democracy or economic recovery.
“However, their apparent desperation to disrupt the current administration following their candidate’s loss to President Tinubu is concerning. This group, often referred to as the Obidients, has repeatedly mobilised protests, attempting to make the country ungovernable at every opportunity.”
Urging Nigerian workers to see through the machinations in the interest of the country, they opposed any form of disruptive strikes aimed at destabilising the government.
They called on the President Tinubu-led administration to introduce policies aimed at reducing inflation, particularly in the food, transportation, medical, agriculture, and energy sectors.
Calling for the provision of credit schemes for PMS-CNG conversion and CNG vehicle hire purchase, they stressed the need for funding for mechanised farming projects across all states, with a commodity board to manage excess produce.
The group also recommended; enhancing security measures through increased utilization of technology, implementing a recurrent expenditure budget that is tailored to the current economic climate, with a focus on austerity, restricting government officials to using only locally assembled or manufactured vehicles.
As of 4:30 pm, the Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifo, had not responded to requests for comment regarding the alleged conspiracy between the Labour Party and the Obidients movement, and had not provided the party’s perspective on the matter.
