The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it plans to hold town-hall meetings across the country to engage political leaders on their programmes for workers and pensioners. Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, said this at the 18th Harmattan School in Ilorin, Kwara State. The theme of the 18th Harmattan School is “Expanding Nigeria’s Democratic Space for Trade Union Organising in the World of Work.”

The programme, which commenced on Dec. 5 and would end on Dec. 9, is holding at the Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS).

Wabba said that the townhall meeting would create a platform to assess political leaders vying for the 2023 elections as it concerns workers and pensioners in the country. According to him, workers and ordinary Nigerians want food on their tables, and security among other basic necessities.

“This is in every state and local government; we will have town-hall meetings where we will engage political leaders about what they have for workers and pensioners.

“Where we are not convinced, we tell the workers and pensioners as well as ordinary Nigerians to take their destinies in their hands. “The town-hall meetings will enable workers to determine those who plan to continue impoverishing them, worsening their poverty levels, and so on. “We must engage our leaders and politicians because we have families to take care of. We work to earn a living and we want food on the table of every Nigerian because we have the resources.

“We dare say that in our charter of demands, the major way to address poverty in Nigeria is for our industries to work,’’ he said. Wabba noted that the government alone could not provide jobs, adding that when industries are working and manufacturing, it would stop importation, increase jobs and eradicate poverty.