Interference: Labour Party tells NLC to back off

By Jude Opara

The Labour Party has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to stop interfering in its affairs as directed by the registrar of Trade Unions in Nigeria, Falonipe Amos.
Obiora Ifoh, the party’s spokesman, said this in a statement on Tuesday.
NLC has been in contention with the leadership of the Labour Party over proprietary rights claims, insisting that it owns the party.
The registrar’s intervention was sequel to a letter to the office by the Labour Party’s national chairman Julius Abure dated July 10, 2024.
The letter titled ‘Request for Your Urgent Intervention the Need to Define the Roles of NLC’ had Mr Amos saying that the act establishing the NLC does not permit it to interfere in the political activities of any political party.
Mr Amos referred NLC to Section 15 (1) (2) (3) of the Trade Unions Act Cap T14 & TI5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, stating, “On no account should NLC be involved in the running or patronising political parties or persons into elective office.’’
He said Section 15 (1) of the Trade Union Act specifically states that it is illegal for NLC or any other trade union to use monies generated by its members for the furtherance of any political objective.
“The following objectives, and no others, are political objectives for the purpose of this section, that is to say, the making of contribution towards the funds of any political party,’’ it said. “It also bars NLC from the Payment of any expenses incurred, directly or indirectly by a candidate of prospective candidate for election to any political office in Nigeria or any part of Nigeria, among other provisions.”
“I wish to urge the leadership of NLC to be guided by the above provisions of the Trade Unions Act in dealing with the Labour Party and any other political parties”, Mr Ifoh quoted the registrar as saying.