The Nigeria Labour Congress has tasked the government to recover the N5.4tn collected as loans by some 350 Nigerians. NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, gave the charge at a public lecture in honour of Congress’ outgoing General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson.
Correspondent Joke Adisa reports that at 70, Chief Economist and General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress, Peter Ozo-Eson, is set to retire from active service and NLC has put a public lecture together in honout of Ozo-Eson’s contributions to the struggle for workers’ emancipation with the theme “Rethinking the Role of the State in Africa’s Development.”
The Guest Lecturer and other speakers agree that Africa has not done too well with its vast human and natural resources due to absence of strong national institutions. They challenge African workers to reconfigure the state to serve the overall interest of the people
NLC boss, Wabba decried the lack in Africa in the midst of plenty, and attributes prevailing security challenges to widespread corruption. He is worried that Nigeria has overtaken India as world’s poverty capital and challenged the Buhari government to go after the 350 Nigerians owing banks more than N5tn.
Speakers and discussants agree underdevelopment in Africa is not an act of God but of humanity and canvass good governance and policy options if the continent must make progress.