The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, and 18 other executive members have been returned unopposed for another four-year term.
This took place on Friday during the inaugural quadrennial National Delegate Conference held in Abuja.
Before the election, Osifo spoke about the harsh living conditions Nigerian workers are facing.
He linked the situation to the country’s economic troubles and the weakening of the Naira under the current administration.
Speaking around the theme of the conference, “The Future of Work- Ensuring Fair Labour Practices and Economic Justice in a Digital Era,” he drew attention to how difficult things have become for workers.
Osifo pointed out that insecurity in places like Plateau and Benue has made food insecurity even worse
He explained that farmers in key agricultural areas cannot reach their farms because of constant safety threats, causing food shortages and driving up food prices.
According to him, regions like Plateau and Benue, known as the country’s food basket, have been badly affected, and this is pushing up the cost of living.
He urged the government to tackle the widespread insecurity, saying that protecting citizens should be a main duty of leadership.
Osifo also made a link between rising unemployment and growing insecurity, warning that the large number of jobless youths is feeding into the cycle of violence and unrest across the country.
Another concern he raised was the growing number of children who are not in school.
He warned that millions of out-of-school children create risks for Nigeria’s future, leading to problems like child labour. He called on federal, state, and local governments to act fast and invest more in education to protect young people and secure the country’s future.
During the conference, the TUC also used the opportunity to accuse some governors of poorly managing allocations given to them, worsening the poverty in their states.
Leave a Reply