The Nigerian government is being urged by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to remove the contentious tax bills from the National Assembly.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, stated in his New Year’s address to Nigerians, particularly the workers, that the well-being of the Nigerian workers was the reason behind the necessity of withdrawing the bills.
He also discussed the importance of the government exhibiting honesty, openness, and inclusivity in its interactions with the general public.
“As we enter 2025, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, extends warm New Year greetings to every worker and citizen across our great nation,” began the statement, which was captioned “In 2025, hope is in our collective resolve.
“We must not be held back by the difficulties we have endured as a nation in surviving. Rather, let us dig deep to forge a shared determination to pull Nigeria out of the abyss of underdevelopment that has imprisoned it for too long. No outside force can save us from the plague of stagnation and economic suffering. Only with our combined will and work will we be able to advance our country.
“To discover this shared resolve throughout our vast country, we must develop our inner power. This is our civic obligation, which we must accept with steadfastness. We demand that all tiers of government make sure that governance benefits the populace. The basic reason any government exists is still to ensure the welfare of its population.
“People and workers have high expectations for access to food and nutrition, better healthcare, high-quality housing, education, transportation, and increased security of lives and property, including the right to participate in decisions about how they are ruled.”Because of this, policies should be transparent, honest, and inclusive, free from nepotism, chicanery, and coercive techniques. To establish a prosperous, democratic country, we require a framework based on social discourse principles that enable important stakeholders to actively engage in the process of nation-building. To ensure stability and sustainability, such inclusivity would encourage a greater sense of ownership over governmental actions.
Based on this, we once again urge the federal government to withdraw its current tax legislation before the National Assembly to include all significant national stakeholders in the process. As we start a national conversation in January 2025 in Ibadan, we want to work together to co-create a new national tax code that would be more widely accepted and serve the government’s primary goal of advancing national development.
“As 2025 approaches, we implore the Nigerian government to give industrial peace top priority by valuing social discourse, promoting pro-human-progress policies, and upholding agreements with trade unions.
“The growing use of violence in interactions with unions and employees needs to stop because it breeds discord in the workplace. Trade unions, of which we are a pan-people organisation, continue to be a dedicated partner in advancement, working to advance Nigeria while defending the rights of both workers and all citizens. We have a great deal invested in our country and care about its governance, which motivates us to work towards ensuring that government policies provide the best results for our country. As a result, we urge the government to govern effectively, but it must also recognise that we cannot avoid our responsibility to our followers.
“We demand that the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act’s provisions be implemented by all levels of government from the first day of the year. We will also ask the government to examine wages to protect workers’ well-being, considering the economic reality imposed by recent government actions. When workers’ wages can cover at least their basic expenses, they will be more motivated to work, which will increase our country’s productivity. We feel that governments at all levels should be in agreement with us on this. We anticipate productive discussions on this topic with our social partners as 2025 approaches.
“Together, let’s be determined to create a Nigeria where the safety of people and property, as well as the well-being of workers, are given top priority. Together, with perseverance and hard work, we can change our country into one of advancement, inclusivity, and shared wealth.”
