The former governor of Edo state and former Chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomole, has accused the Kaduna state government of contributing to the present insecurity challenges in the North Central.
Oshiomole while speaking in Abuja at the 2nd Nigeria Labour Congress National Peace and Security Summit alleged that the over 35,000 workers sacked in the state has played a major role in contributing to the current insecurity challenges in the state and its environs.
The former APC Chairman insisted that those that have been retrenched and are left without any means of livelihood, have now been forced into crime.
Oshiomole went on to say that the less priviledged children that were abandoned by the society are bitter with a bad society that abandoned them.
“Who are the bandits? I suspect, that those 35,000 workers in Kaduna city whose livelihood have been taken, what are they doing? What will their children and grandchildren be doing now? It’s common sense to know that an idle mind, is a devil’s workshop”.
“I suspect that those Nigerians that we abandoned and not provide for them, as you can call them almajiri or beggers, they have all grown up. When you talk about unemployment, the biggest problem is having the biggest population of unemployable people because they never had any opportunity of being taught by a qualified teacher.”
He added that security challenges should not only be looked from the aspect of what the military and police can do to restore peace, rather it should also be tackled from the issue of security of wages and jobs.
He tongue lashed state governors who are still yet to implement the thirty thousand naira minimum wage.
“When they deny workers such payment, can there be peace? I summit with International Labour Organisation that the condition for national peace and security does not necessarily need much bullet but decent jobs but when you are at an environment where jobs are being killed, jobs that does not exist cannot even be decent.”
“It is criminal for any Governor not to pay workers as at when due. If the oppressed stop antagonising and organise themselves, and find a common unity across the country, that will be the beginning of laying foundation for sustainable peace in Nigeria”.
In his opening remarks, the President Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba stated that the organised labour has the responsibility to represent and defend not only the interest of workers but also national interest that bothers on national security.
“This summit is taking place against the backdrop increase in criminalitiy as ocassioned by terrorism, banditry and all sheds of criminality including, kidnaping, abduction, and killing of our citizens. In the North East, Boko Haram insurgency is yet to be completely addressed, in the North Central, there is the farmers-herders conflict, and also the issue of kidnapping, in the South South and South East, there is the recent issue of criminals attacking armed forces and the police and carting away their ammunitions and in the North West, the situation is compounded with bandits sacking communities at will and taking over villages”.
” This peace summit is to interrogate the issues causing insecurity and find a lasting solution that can take the country of the woods of insecurity sooner or later. The temperament of this summit is supported by the International Labour Organization recommendation 205, dealing empowerment and employment for decent work for peace and resilience which recognises the importance of decent work, promoting peace, preventing crisis situation arising from conflict and disaster, enabling recovery and building resilience”.
In the same vein, Ayuba recalled the incessant sack of thousands of workers in the state and the need to reinstate them.
“The present high state of insecurity in Kaduna state has a lot to do with the penchance by the state government for throwing workers out of their jobs. As we Speak, from 2016 to date, over 29,000 workers have been thrown out of their jobs in Kaduna state. Also tuition fees in Kaduna state have been increased by 100 percent. What this means is that many children of the poor workers will not be able to attend good schools while the children of the rich are sent to study outside the country. The implication is that these children who dropped out of school will now be used by bad elements to perpetrate insecurity in the country”.
He went on to say that
“The summit is also looking at how best to support the armed forces in the prosecution of the anti terrorism war.
“However, we are concerned about recent plans to relocate the US African Command from Germany to Nigeria. While we welcome intelligence sharing and ammunitions support to our armed forces, we warn that it will be counter productive to replace our army with foreign soldiers. Nigerian Armed Forces are capable of summounting the insecurity challenge if they are supported with adequate funds and technological equipment”.
He further called on political leaders to take responsibility for their actions while in office.
