Posted by By Margaret Odeyemi & Dupe Ayinla on
A Labour delegate to the on-going National Political Reform Conference (NPRC), Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja has expressed dismay over undue concentration of debate on which zone to produce the president of the country in 2007, rather than other pressing socio-economic issues that could move the nation forward.
LAGOS - A Labour delegate to the on-going National Political Reform Conference (NPRC), Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja has expressed dismay over undue concentration of debate on which zone to produce the president of the country in 2007, rather than other pressing socio-economic issues that could move the nation forward.
Comrade Ugboaja who is also the General Secretary of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), urged delegates to talk more on national issues rather than falling over themselves on the 2007 presidency.
Comrade Ugboaja however, told journalists in Lagos that he was optimistic that at the end of the conference, Nigerians would not be disappointed.
"The national issues did come up well, but too much emphasis is now being placed on which zone that will produce the president in 2007. This is unnecessary distraction. It will be better for delegates to concentrate more on national issues rather this 2007 presidency.
However, we are doing a great job at the conference. By the time Nigerians start seeing the outcome of the confab they will know that it has a fruitful dividends. Resource control issue is almost like a single agenda to the South South delegates, but people (delegates) should come out more on how to widen the economy, I mean talking on what will move the country forward. There are decent proposals and thoughts in the line of trying to widen the scope of Agriculture as well as the issue of solid minerals as the committee really goes indepth on both issues at their plenary session in order for Nigerians to be able to feed and feed well," he said.
Speaking on the frequent walk out by delegates on the basis of zonal agitations, Comrade Ugboaja said, "it is a civilised act and one to be appreciated by others.
It is our culture because even in the National Assembly, we have heard about people throwing chairs, slapping one another when it comes to argument. At the Confab, in order not to do it that way they proved maturity by walking out of the venue of the confab".
On Labour Agenda at the Confab, he pointed out that Labour issues are being articulated at the confab because "there are Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) delegates, civil society and Trade Union Congress (TUC) delegates who are also there to articulate and defend Labour positions. We had 19 committees all together, but only that we weren't as dramatic as the South -South or the Northerners or even the South West."