The labour veteran said what President Buhari has as technocrats and advisers were people he described as mere Buharists who lacked the technical know how to move the country.
He therefore called on the NLC and other civil society organisations across Nigeria to fight those people who he said want to stagnate Nigeria and turn its citizens to starved slaves.
According to him, “Some of the so-called technocrats in the present government and advisers of Buhari are mere Buharist, they cannot move Nigeria forward.
” So NLC and other civil society organisations across Nigeria must fight those people who want to dwarf Nigeria and turn its citizens to starved slaves.”
Comrade Sumonu who was Speaking a discussant at the two day event to mark the NLC 40th anniversary in Abuja, on the topic: ‘The Future of the World of Work’, lamented that most of the socio-economic cum security problems facing Nigeria were as a result of unemployment, alleging that government’s reactive nature instead of being proactive was evidently Nigeria’s problem.
His words, “Education, health, housing and industries are core to socio-economic development of any country. And these are areas that can generate millions of jobs for Nigerians.
“Most of the socio-economic and security problems facing Nigeria is as a result of unemployment and this is because of poor or reactive socio-economic policies of both the present government and the past ones.
“We cannot prepare for the future of the world of work if we don’t massively invest in new technology through research for a viable industrial development.
“Look at Ajaokuta Steel. No country can
industrialise without a viable steel industry. We have been told that Ajaokuta Steel has been built up to 90% and then they want to put some money there and sell it to their friends. In the name of privatising our national asset.
“NLC, Nigeria Civil Society organisations and every Nigerian should oppose any attempt by anybody or any government to privatize Ajaokuta Steel and other industries in the country. We should resist it because it is unpatriotic, unpardonable, unreasonable and unforgivable.
“Look at the number of tens of thousands of jobs that should be available for Nigerians if that industry is viable. Since they privatized our electricity industry, what have we gotten? Instead of constant light, we are paying more for darkness.
“In electricity, are we investing in research and technology for solar energy, wind energy which are the future of electricity across the world? Are we preparing and training youths for electric engine motor cars? Because in another decades, petrol might not be the source of running cars.”
He also stated that, “We have to revamp our education structure from kindergarten to primary, high school and university level. Over 60 million Nigerians are said to be uneducated. So it means that those 60 million Nigerians are not effectively contributing to the economy of Nigeria because of illiteracy. So if we decide to train teachers for the purpose of eradicating illiteracy in Nigeria within the next two to three years, are we not going to generate massive jobs?
“On the other hand, if the socio-economic policy of the government is directed to providing decent housing for the majority of Nigerians, would that not create millions of jobs?
“So far, even with the so much job creation promise they made to Nigerians every now and then, they are only focusing on pocket economic policy agenda. Being what IMF and World Bank direct them to do. Because what they can actually do to provide jobs for Nigerians is so obvious.
“Though I commend the federal government for now seeing that agriculture is among the ways to provide for our country and so create jobs. However, Nigeria government must invest in research and development.”
Also speaking, Comrade Ali Chiroma, the second president of NLC, charged NLC to wake up and go back to the basis in order through action and commitments win the heart of Nigerians as it once did.
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