By Adefolarin A. Olamilekan
Political Economist and Development Researcher
Email Adefolarin77@Gmail.Com
Tel. 08073814436, 08107407870
Dear Governor Sule,
Am writing this open letter to you as a keen observer of your administration, residing in Nasarawa State, a political economist and development researcher. Moreso, as a Nigerian with profound concern over the current hanging industrial labour disputes in the state.
I send you this open letter in the hope that you would read it since it would be published in national dailies and online platforms.
The underlying issues this open letter address is precisely predicated on three center of attention resting on the industrial labour disputes in the state. First, is that it is one of the oldest and most deep-seated issues in Nigerian governance and politics. Secondly, it is an ideological one that stems from neoliberal instrument and, lastly, it’s about operationalisation of finance in terms of what comes to state purse from Federal Allocation Committee and the state Internal generated Revenue.
As a resident in Masaka area of Karu LGA in the state, your desire for infrastructural development is laudable, that is convincing enough for residents and indigenes to appreciate. Meanwhile, your drive to ensure Nasarawa state become an industrial hub in North Central zone is plausible to the general economy health of Nigeria, to engage youth employment, income generation and poverty reduction. Your impressive concern for civil servants welfare and development demonstrate commitment to a professional civil service with 21st century facts and imminent. This you ensure at the inception of your administration.
Persuasively, industrial disputes are one of the oldest and most deep-seated issues in Nigerian governance and politics. This scenario existed long before Nigeria got independence in 1960s, overrun through military adventure into our politics and birthed dangerously in the last 22 years of uninterrupted democracy we valued as fourth republic. And this goes into our understanding of both economic and political forces has it’s impinges on workers welfare, the nature and character of the Nigerian state.
Am not here to lecture your Excellency on this, a perspective discussion would help, even although you prepared yourself intellectually in the flight to becoming governor of one of Nigerian most promising state.
Auspiciously, industrial disputes reoccurrences in Nigeria is basically because the class interest that drives the forces which stimulate the crises remained unchanged. Undeniably, the struggle for National Minimum wage was a drama of its own as the demand of N52, 000 by the workers was back down to N30, 000 from a crisis of negotiation.
In the prevailing circumstance this in particular is the burning point between your administration and workers in the state. Even, though you show commitment to state implementing from GL0 to 6, this labour union not comfortable with.
Industrial dispute globally is an ideological context that stems from of neoliberal enigma. This can be properly dissected on the controversial question of Wage and Wages. Wages is the amount paid for certain period of work or for a certain amount of work. Nevertheless, Karl Marx explicitly put it this way, wages are only a special name for the price of labour power, and are usually called the price of labour, it is the special name for the price of this peculiar commodity, which has no other repository than human flesh and blood. To this end is to see wage translate to better conditions of workers regular payment of salary and promotion
Neoliberals over the years, especially in the third world countries with particular reference to Nigeria have been on the fore fronts attacks on the workers. This is in a bid of economic principles handed over to their governments in respect to loan obtained from World Bank, International Monetary Fund and others. Ideally, loans could be obtained to ease domestics resources constraints in a country but the recklessness which loans are contracted in third world countries has made loans a clog in the wheel of development and social progress of the third world.
In fact; the policies to right size downsize and reform of the civil service from below are neoliberal agenda. I may not have enough space to expatiate on this, since this is just a letter. The imperative of ideological context is that, the civil servants in Nasarawa state have sowed in flesh and blood as there labour power. And this is the sacrifice of their life.
To the issue of operationalisation of finance in respects to the monies from federal allocation committee and the state internally generated revenue. This is all about distribution and redistribution of resources. The contentions here start from previous governors paying civil servant in percentages of which you overturned and start paying them full salary.
I commend you for that, even though you meet the problem on ground especially the issue of arrears’ and promotion your administration is strategically trying to resolves.
Conversely, the controversies surrounding the amount received by your administration from FAAC, especially the allegation from Labour Union that your government received N4.5 billion on monthly basis to me is what is fueling the crisis.
In Nigeria today no state government would agree to have enough to upset the monthly wage bill of state civil service, as many would cites poor revenues and blotted civil service. When state government hold on to these two things are bound to happen, nonpayment of workers’ salaries or industrial dispute in the form of strikes by workers.
In conclusion, your Excellency, l have no doubt that your administration have good intention for civil servants in Nasarawa state , am positive that you would not just end this strike by workers, but you put robust measures in place to foster future occurrence in Nasarawa state.
On the other hand, here is my modest suggestion, kindly, published what your administration received from FAAC on monthly basis, established an adhoc committee on labour and government relations. Very apt to this is dialogue, dialogue and dialogue at every point in your administration.
With, Respected Special Regards.
