SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS, COMRADE ABDULWAHED IBRAHIM OMAR AT THE 37TH FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY OF HAKS-IS, THE SECOND LARGEST TRADE UNION CENTRE IN TURKEY ON SUNDAY 21ST OCTOBER 2012

On behalf of Nigerian workers, it is my pleasure to be present here to celebrate the 37^th anniversary of your confederation with you and also share ideas on the development of independent trade union movement and the struggle for a society where justice and fairness is guaranteed across the world of work and among the general populace.

The Nigeria Labour Congress was formed on 28^th day of February 1978, independently by over 900 unions that voluntarily came together and restructured the unions. Though the independent effort of the unions were eventually given legal backing and authority by the Federal Government of Nigeria in an attempt to exert state control but the unions have always resisted such controls by ensuring cohesion in policy and actions, which have so far made state control impossible.

We started with 42 industrial unions affiliated to the NLC, which was eventually reduced when government infringed on the right of custom and excise workers to belong to trade unions and their union had to de-affiliate from the NLC. The Academic Staff Union of Universities was also de-affiliated following vicious attacks by the then military government of General Ibrahim Babangida. However, the union has voluntarily re-affiliated with the NLC.

We have been able to sustain our independence through capacity strengthening, which we have consistently done through workers education, research, media outreach and organizing. We have also refused to run our centre with state funding at all levels as we run all our education, organizing, research, collective bargaining and even administrative programmes and projects with funds provided through membership subscriptions as well as funds from friendly Non-Governmental Organizations that we share common beliefs and aspirations. Our total membership strength is about six million.

The history of Nigeria can never be complete without acknowledging the important roles played by the Nigerian trade union movement. The movement was a leading force in the anti colonial struggles of the Nigerian people. From 1912, when Nigeria had her first trade union until independence in 1960, the trade unions mobilized workers and their allies to consistently battle the colonialists out of power.

As you may be aware, Nigeria groaned under prolonged military dictatorship, which thrice truncated civil rule until 1999 when democratic governance was returned through the consistent struggles of the Nigerian people who fought side by side with the unions to chase the military out of power.

We were able to do these because we have a long history of a robust relationship with our allies in the civil society groups. Beyond economic struggles on wages and defence of workers’ rights, we have consistently engaged the state in popular struggles on policy issues.

For instance, we have never hidden our opposition to neo liberal socio economic policies, which are designed by the Breton Woods institutions and forced down the throat of their stooges in under-developed and developing countries. Since the early 80s, we have consistently opposed these policies, particularly the so called Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, which we fought against alongside students, artisans, women and the teaming unemployed populace. We are able to do these because of the strong alliance between us and conscious organizations among civil society groups. Recently, in 2004 we collectively agreed with the pro people section of civil society groups to form the Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO. There are three arms of LASCO – the trade union side includes the NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, while the civil society arm is the Joint Action Front, which has over 100 organisations spread across Nigeria. Though we are yet to formalize the structure, but since its formation, LASCO has always been in the forefront of all our national protests, particularly on deregulation of the petroleum sector, electoral reforms, anti corruption etc.

We believe historically, that we have common issues with our allies and together we must fight against our collective deprivations and infringements. This way, we will make state attacks difficult.

As a labour centre, we have decided since the exit of the military from government in Nigeria that we must do everything possible to deepen democracy in our country. When we look back at our country’s history, we found the military guilty of contributing largely to our underdevelopment. And we have resolved never to allow military dictatorship or any form of dictatorship in our country. The people must count if we must make progress as a country and the Nigeria Labour Congress will do everything possible to tirelessly mobilize the entire populace to consistently promote and defend democracy. No country in the world has an option yet to democratic rule and we have tasted the worst of military dictatorship in contemporary history. Dictatorship in every form whether under military government or civilian breeds corruption; infrastructural decay; economic retardation; socio political instability and abuse of fundamental human rights. We will resist all these in our country.

Beyond building alliances at home, we have also extended our alliances abroad starting with the West African region. We have engaged our counterparts in the Ghana Trade Union Congress on several issues of common interests using the platform provided by our bilateral agreement. We also have a bilateral agreement with the Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU. And now, we have succeeded in having a trilateral agreement with COSATU, GTUC and the NLC. This has strengthened our collective voice in the African continent.

We decided to have these agreements because it has become very obvious that capital has formidable multinational focus and interest. With the advent of globalization, big business has developed transnational networks to attack trade union rights coupled with the overbearing influence they exert on our various governments.

We must also, as trade unions, be able to use these bilateral relationships to collectively mobilize progressive voices in continental and regional bodies such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, and the European Union to take positive decisions on decent work, trade union rights as well as all other issues relating to workers rights especially at Export Processing Zones, which is a major component of globalization.

Comrades, we need to intensify our alliances, beyond the global trade union federations if we must succeed in confronting the challenges of globalization and the threat to trade union and workers’ rights across the globe.

We are prepared to work with our comrades in HAK-IS, your labour centre, to share experiences and break our common obstacles in our countries and across the globe. We are indeed prepared to have a formal bilateral agreement with you to ensure the success of our partnership, an offer you made and which we have genuinely accepted. Both centres can commence the bilateral process immediately.

Once again, on behalf of Nigerian workers I congratulate you on the 37^th foundation anniversary of HAK-IS, the second largest labour centre in Turkey.

Thank you for your attention. 

NIGERIA AT 52: WE SHALL OUTGROW OUR CHALLENGES

PRESS STATEMENT

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) felicitates with all Nigerians on the occasion of the 52^nd anniversary of the country’s Independence as a sovereign nation. We particularly wish to salute the resilience, commitment and perseverance of Nigerian workers and working families, who in the face of harsh economic policies, exacerbated by corruption, insecurity, and unprecedented impunity by the ruling class have continued to believe in the efficacy of the Nigerian project.

This unwavering passion for the sustainability of the Nigerian nation is borne out of a deep sense of history.  It is an appreciation of the reality that agonizing, lamentations, and sloganeering on the reckless profligacy and outright betrayal of the peoples’ trust by the powers that be, will no longer suffice in gingering policy makers to building a nation of our dreams.

At 52, the aspirations of the average Nigerian, was a country that would accomplish remarkable feats in governance, science and technology, industrial and infrastructural development as well as attain a high standard of living.

While the problems of achieving these ideals have variously been attributed to prolonged years of military dictatorship, the promise of civil rule since 1999, is yet to signal attainment of these goals.

Given this dismal scenario, it is apparent that the challenges facing our country in this generation and generations unborn can only be outgrown and fulfilled not by the prevailing political class and their Brenton Woods neo-liberal economic philosophers, but by the will, resilience and pro-activeness of the working class and working families, to push for an alternative development paradigm that focuses on job creation, the welfare of the poor and other vulnerable groups rather than capital and big business.

The neo-liberal market-driven policies which decisively reared its head in the so-called Structural Adjustment programme in 1986, and has been rabidly and blindly pursued since 1999, cannot rejuvenate the Nigerian economy and place it on a path of sustainable development to deliver on peoples’ welfare. What the country requires, if it is serious about a fundamental turn-around, is a critical state-led development programme that has seen the transformation of many economies of Asia. Even the apostles of neo-liberalism, had to resort to intensive state intervention and huge dosage of regulation when hit by the recent global financial crisis. It is time for our leaders to wake up for Nigeria, and stop being guided by economic stereotypes that are arcane and have been tested and found wanting.

Nigerians urgently desire to see their country’s economy back in sound health, and have given all support required through long years of self denial and sacrifice, but are yet to see practical and reassuring steps by government towards this direction.

From the above, it is apparent that our policy makers need to free themselves of pressures and blackmail from foreign institutions whose neo liberal economic policies that were imposed on previous governments never worked in our collective interests as a nation, but ended up weakening our socio-economic structures; widened the gap between the rich and the poor; destroyed jobs and industry as well as education.

We believe that if policy is directed towards reindustrialization with all the energy and resources required, more idle hands will be engaged in productive employment. This way, we would have less challenge in crimes and insecurity.

While majority of our people can’t afford one meal a day, corruption in high places has grown to disturbing heights. No country will ever develop with economic criminals feasting on the commonwealth of the nation. The huge amount involved in reported cases of corruption when put together will be enough to rapidly wake up our economy, re-energize our education sector, create jobs and reduce tension.

Even when Mr. President continues to express his commitment to anti corruption policies, we do not see the same seriousness reflected in the activities of the administration and the legislature. For instance, those listed as having diverted or misappropriated petroleum subsidy funds are yet to face serious prosecution due mainly to undue interference by the powers that be. It will be a tragedy, and one that would have serious repercussions from the working people, if government is seen to be protecting those who have been accused of stealing public funds.

While Nigerians eagerly look forward to their immediate prosecution, some of those listed as subsidy thieves are regularly seen around the corridors of power openly hob nobbing with the Presidency. This cannot encourage any serious anti corruption struggle. We caution that workers and the Nigerian people are keenly watching the ongoing melodrama associated with the oil removal scandal. The struggle is not yet over, as an attempt to shield these fraudsters and their collaborators will be decisively resisted by the Labour Movement.

Every step taken by government on the privatization of public corporations seem directed towards justifying corruption as the process remain obviously exclusive and guided by too many secrecy. Looking at the list of those reported to have been sold properties belonging to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, we are convinced that rather than punish those who have been identified to have ruined our economy and shortchanged our people by diverting public resources to their private use, they are being rewarded through privatization. Nigeria is clearly being handed over to a few private individuals, which must not be accepted.

Corruption and the near collapse of the economy are responsible for the increasing spate of insecurity, violent crimes and the dangerous reality of the full presence of terrorism in our country. No country will successfully tackle insecurity under the reign of corruption and unemployment.

Nigerians need to be on notice that we must all prepare to take our collective destiny on our hands and pursue a quick reawakening that will rebuild our collective capacity to engage the political class who has continuously shown their inability to rescue our country from the abyss.

Workers and working families must not give up. We must be prepared to provide vision if they have none, and give them an agenda, if they have none. We must constantly demand good governance to halt their constant display of impunity and disgust for our collective interests.

We must not lose hope but renew our energy towards deepening the struggle for good governance, for together we shall outgrow our challenges.

Abdulwahed Omar                                          Chris Uyot

President                                             Acting General Secretary

BEFORE THE FIRE NEXT TIME - An Article by: Denja Yaqub

Following the week long National strike and mass protests spearheaded by the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and their allies in the Labour & Civil Society Coalition, LASCO, in January 2012, there have been a lot of reviews in the mass media about how the actions were managed. Indeed, even President Jonathan has also joined the fray recently with the insensitive claim that it was food, music and comedy that attracted people to join the protests.

We recall that the trade unions, as represented by the NLC and TUC were specific in their demands that culminated in the national strike and protests, which followed the mindless sudden increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol from N65 to N145 per litre as a direct consequence of the removal of subsidy on the same product by the Federal Government on the first day of the year 2012.

The two labour centres had meetings of the their National Executive Council, which simultaneously directed a national strike and mass protests be organized and coordinated by the two centres to protest the price increase and removal of subsidy on petroleum products. And until these demands are met, the strike and protests should continue. These were the two clear demands and the leadership of NLC did not only consult with LASCO, the coalition was indeed represented at the NEC meeting where the strike and actions were declared based on these two demands.

When the national strike and protests started as planned, civil society groups organized rallies and protests, particularly in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Ibadan. These groups had various names and nomenclature. Prominent among them were the Save Nigeria Group, led by Pastor Tunde Bakare and the Occupy Nigeria Group. The demand common to these groups was regime change, which was not part of labour’s demands.

Before anyone can call for regime change, there must be an alternative regime clear, popular, dependable and acceptable by all opposition groups. There must have been several discussions based on the programme or agenda good enough and acceptable as a viable alternative to the regime that needed to be changed.

These were clearly absent. But leaders of these groups kept playing with the slogan, encouraged perhaps by the events in North Africa where popular and well coordinated mass protests uprooted sit tight regimes. The Arab Spring is not artless either. It took years of protests and good planning, albeit clandestine.

Without the strike and mass participation of workers across the country, it would have been near impossibility to have a crowd as large as the ones seen in Lagos and other major protest centres. It was certainly not the attraction of free food or music, as espoused by President Jonathan in an attempt to underscore the import of the protests. Mr. President may have been bewildered and overwhelmed by the deceit of security reports and wrong advice and could therefore not know the extent of the pains bad policies has unleashed on the people coupled with the timing of his government’s decision to inflict further pains through hike in the price of petrol. The unemployed will not require food to join a protest that ultimately will lead to policy reversals that will guarantee him a brighter future.

Mr. President clearly exposed the extent of his little knowledge of the worries and aches of the rest of the country as majority of our people groan in hardships inflicted on us by anti people policies of not just his government, but all others before his.

The civil society groups, certainly not those in LASCO, also can’t do an honest self appraisal of the January actions reading through some of the articles in the media. And if we can’t do this, we will be farther than we think from liberation.

The unions as led by the labour centres foresaw the weakness of demands for regime change and the reality of losing a battle from the onset will not encourage any serious labour centre to make such demands. You don’t demand for regime or system change; you organize for it. You prepare everything including the alternative before making such demands.

The demand itself lacked organizational coordination and insisting on going ahead will mean offering the lives of protesters for state slaughtering, which the state was ready for.

Rather than do an honest appraisal, some people have opted for the convenience of heaping all blames on the trade union movement, which didn’t make such demands as regime or system change.

For instance, when the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, an affiliate of NLC blocked supply of fuel to Abuja in August it was interpreted to mean they were fighting for subsidy thieves, whereas the union’s demands were five and not just on fuel subsidy payment. The union’s demand for payment of subsidy to genuine companies was based on the fact that there were threats to the employment of their members in those companies who had threatened to stop paying salaries because of the financial burden they claimed to be confronting as a result of the cost of importing what we should be producing locally. Aside this, the union’s other demands were: nonpayment of salaries and threat to jobs; state of the nation’s refineries and roads; labour issues in Shell Petroleum and Chevron; and restructuring of loans of depot owners and oil marketers

All these demands are basically in the interest of the workers and the country at large. The union did not demand for payment of subsidy to those already known to have used subsidy funds for other things other than supply of petroleum products.

So, when one read a piece written by Ijeoma Nwogwugwu which was mischievously titled “Economic Saboteurs in Our Mist” in This Day newspaper of 27^th August 2012 where she accused the NLC and NUPENG of sabotage and also implied that the duo have become a burden on the Nigerian economy, it was very obvious that she was writing from two perspectives. One is that she has maintained a pathological disgust for the NLC and the entire movement since the struggle against fuel price hike started under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The second is that she lacked understanding of the movement.

The strike NUPENG had was in real fact to ensure the economy is not overburdened with higher unemployment. We still recall that NLC have consistently called for the prosecution of those indicted by House of Representatives soon after the Lawal led committee submitted its report. The NLC made presentations to the committee during its sittings. In all the presentations, the NLC had always called for proper investigation, prosecution and appropriate punishment of everyone indicted.

By the way, we need to be reminded that the committee and indeed all the post-subsidy removal committees constituted either by the legislature or the executives were all direct products of agitations by the NLC and its allies. So, how could anyone assume the same NLC will agitate for the freedom of oil subsidy thieves, majority of whom are yet to be arrested?

Interestingly, Ijeoma also accused the leadership of the National Union of Electricity Employees and its members of sabotage at the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. To Ijeoma, the union’s consistent agitation for a probe into the disappearance of the workers’ pension funds constituted sabotage. And now that a Federal Government panel has traced part of the pension fund to a bank in London, Ijeoma is yet to retract herself on her false conclusions. From the “resignation” of Prof. Bart Nnaji to the discovery of the missing pension funds, the union and its members have been proven to be patriots rather than saboteurs as claimed by Ijeoma.

The labour movement will continue to agitate against subsidy removal because that’s the only way a country so badly managed can be propelled to the path of strong economy, petroleum being a critical driving force.

While you can dismiss Ijeoma as a conservative writer, one cannot wish off. Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim who is close to the movement.

In his write up titled: “Is the Fuel Subsidy Cabal Too Powerful?” Jibrin alleged that the marketers or those he called “mega thieves” paid NUPENG to call the strike under reference. He went further to claim that NLC “chickened out” of the struggle against subsidy removal.

We can’t make progress in any situation where everyone is assumed to have a price. Do NUPENG need funding from the marketers before they stand up for their members interests? Jubrin should have taken his time to look at the demands of the union. Were their demands protective of any mega thief? All the five demands made by the union were all in the interest of members of the union, the industry where they have a stake and the entire country.

And we must be factual when alleging compromise under the influence of financial inducement. It is an easy and lazy way to destroy people and organizations; and clearly Jubrin’s write up is loathed with this intention.

Jubrin should know that no trade union anywhere in the world will ever call a strike that will not end on the negotiation table. And that’s what the NLC and TUC did in January. The January strike had specific demands and those demands were subjected to several painstaking negotiations at the end of which the price of petrol was unilaterally reduced from N145 to N97, even when negotiations were still on.  That was a clear blackmail on the part of government because should the strike continue, the movement risk losing followership. The trade unions know the limit of a strike and Jubrin should know this.

If there were threats to massively murder protesters, are we organizationally prepared to sustain mass action or even a strike?

If anyone should be accused of chickening out, it should be the likes of Jubrin who was either relaxing in the comfort of his office at Center for Democracy and Development or riding in his air-conditioned car behind protesters mainly for the purpose of taking photographs of protesters, which eventually get to donor agencies from the comfort of what they call “situation oom”.

And let us come home with the truth, most of the “organizations” we refer to as Civil Society Organisations are not. They are mere one person, media driven “organisations” preferably referred to as MONGO, which is My Own Non-Governmental Organisation or DINGO – Donor Initiated Non Governmental Organisation. Some are even GINGO – Government Initiated Non Government Organisations. These “organizations” are loud in the media, particularly the social media. They prefer the comfort of their offices, if any, than attending meetings or mobilizing for popular protests. They have the “best” analysis when it comes to polemics on social revolution but too far from the mass of our people to understand what it takes to get people on to the streets for mass protests. These categories of activists are the ones who will accuse the labour movement of chickening out of the January actions. Such persons and CSOs can’t be found in LASCO where serious mass organizations in the Joint Action Front exist. We challenge Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim to give proof that he mobilized anyone for the January protests.

The January protests opened a new beginning in our collective struggle and before the fire next time, we need to understand clearly what we collectively desire and with whom we need to place our trust.

Nigeria Labour Congress holds National Peace and Unity Summit and Mass Rally

NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS

(Labour Creates Wealth)

The Nigeria Labour Congress regrets to announce the postponement of its National Peace, Unity and Development Summit and National Rally initially planned to hold on Tuesday 18^th September 2012.

The summit and rally will now hold on Thursday, 20^th September 2012 at 10am at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

We appeal to all our invited guests, affiliate unions, workers, invited stakeholders and the general public to accept our sincere apologies.

Special Guest of Honour at the summit is the President and Commander In Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR; while a former Head of State, Dr. Yakubu Gowon will chair the summit.

Professor Etannibi Alemika, a renowned security intellectual of international repute will deliver the lead paper with the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Abdulwahed Ibrahim Omar as Chief Host.

The summit is part of Nigerian workers contribution to the quest for national unity and peace in view of the challenges facing the country.

Promise Adewusi mni                                           Emma Ugboaja

Chairman                                                                  Secretary

Summit Planning Committee                              Summit Planning Committee

Tune in to Workers World Media Production This Wednesday

Global Week of Action on Swaziland

Home > Where We Work > Africa > Global Week of Action on Swaziland   Print This Page | Email to a Friend September 6, 2012—Unions and pro-democracy organizations in southern Africa and around the world are marking this year’s Global Week of Action on Swaziland with meetings, protests and other actions in support of workers and worker rights. TUCOSWA First Deputy Secretary General Mduduzi Gina speaking at a May 1, 2012, rally in Manzini. Photo credit TUCOSWA. The action week coincides with the country’s independence day on September 6 and has, since 2009, become an annual rallying point around the lack of political freedom in the kingdom and the increasing attacks against civil society organizations, including trade unions. While political parties and political organizations continue to be banned under a 1973 royal proclamation, freedom of association is protected by law and has allowed trade unions to develop an independent role in workplace relations. Swaziland’s trade unions have long rallied workers, activists and other civil society organizations, raising awareness of economic and social issues affecting working people and families. But while freedom of association is legally codified, there has been an increasing unwillingness to tolerate any public action or union activity that implies dissent—particularly as wages and critical services such as education and health care are under threat. In 2012, annual union marches in April were stopped by pre-emptive arrests and aggressive police actions. That same month, the formation of a unified trade union federation, the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) was stalled after it was de-registered by Swazi authorities. In July, peaceful union rallies by nurses, teachers and transport workers protesting economic mismanagement and increasing threats to wages and real incomes were met with tear gas, rubber bullets and arrests of union leaders. Also in July, Bazel Thwala, a legal adviser for the Swaziland Transport Association Workers Union (STAWU), was given a one-year prison sentence for his alleged role in a protest by bus operators in Manzini. In protesting Thwala’s arrest, International Transport Federation (ITF) General Secretary David Cockroft said: “This conviction comes against a background of aggression towards STAWU by the Swazi regime. The ITF has urged peaceful solutions to the current labor conflicts in Swaziland and called for the implementation of basic workers’ rights as enshrined in the core Conventions of the International Labor Organization.” And this week, Swazi unions report heavy-handed police actions to break up groups of protesting students in Mbabane. Joining the Swazi labor movement and other civil society organizations in the Global Week of Action on Swaziland are the International Trade Union Confederation and its Africa regional affiliate, which have protested on numerous occasions and have filed a complaint on the de-registration of TUCOSWA with the International Labor Organization’s Committee of Freedom of Association.

TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE ON PEACE SUMMIT BY PRESIDENT OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC), COMRADE ABDULWAHED OMAR, HELD ON 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2012

Protocols

You will recall that one of the resolutions of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at its meeting of Wednesday, August 8, 2012 in Benin City, Edo State was to confront the security challenge in the country through organizing in the second week of September in Abuja, a peace rally and summit entitled, Labour for Unity, Peace and Development.

This resolution was informed by the deteriorating security situation in spite of the measures taken by the government: the assassinations, armed robberies, bombings, cyclical communal and sectarian violence which have led to painful loss of lives, massive displacements, injurious interruption of productive activities with prospect of acute food shortages, destruction of properties estimated at billions of Naira and capital flight.

But much more worrisome are general panic in the land and calls for the dismemberment of the country largely due to concern about government’s capacity to deal with these challenges.

Deeply saddening, is the  growing perception of tacit or complicit support for some of these horrendous crimes by some of our elders who have suddenly found comfort in reduced space. To our horror, some have made bold to offer in the open, ideology, philosophy and justification for these misadventures.

This may probably provide the rationale why previous efforts by individuals, organisations and even government have not offered the needed respite, suggesting that something somewhere must have gone fundamentally wrong and if not properly addressed could do irreparable damage to our nation.

It is therefore apparently clear today that the nation needs the vision and drive of nationalistic individuals and institutions to pull the polity away from the brink of disaster and hopelessness.

One of the few surviving pan-Nigerian institutions today is the Nigeria Labour Congress. From the struggle for independence till date, it has played a leading role at critical moments in Nigeria’s history.  We believe history beckons on it once again.  Accordingly, it feels obliged once more to throw its weight on the side of efforts at finding a solution to the current challenges facing the nation, hence this Rally and Summit.

You will recall at the height of the militant activities in the Niger-Delta, the Congress did convoke a similar summit in Asaba, and the consequent application of some of the suggestions, contributions and resolutions from that summit such as amnesty, were found to be helpful.

Today, in line with this NEC resolution we are happy to invite you to this press conference, which we believe, will avail us the needed opportunity to unveil the programme and content of the summit and rally to you

In line with the above, we wish to formally inform you that our summit, entitled Labour for Unity, Peace and Development will take place as follows:

Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Venue:        International Conference Centre

Time: 10:00am

The objectives of the summit are to:

·         provide a space for the exchange of ideas, information, experiences and mutual guidance towards peace, unity and security of the country;

·         facilitate a people driven re-engineering of the polity for peace, unity and security and Development;

·         develop common positions and strategies among the elite and the mass of our people so as to pursue a common vision for peace, unity, security and development;

·         examine recent happenings across the country and their consequences on the Nigerian people and their development;

·         project a strong and coherent voice towards the resolution of the current security challenges in the country;

·         showcase our belief in a united, prosperous and peaceful Nigeria which will outlive its challenges;

·         restore hope in a virile, viable Nigeria.

Lead paper will be presented by an eminent Nigerian Scholar  which will be exhaustively discussed by equally eminent scholars, statesmen and women. In order to properly diagnose our problem, effort has been made to invite participants of all ages from every sector of the economy.

In addition to discussion sessions, participants shall take a walk for peace as a practical demonstration of commitment to the peace effort.

We believe the forum will offer all of us a great chance to speak out frankly with a view to finding a common ground for peace and development.

Thank you for coming.