THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it would convene a National Security Summit to dispassionately engage the current challenge of insecurity in Nigeria and proffer sustainable solutions.
The Congress also said it would hold rallies across the country to sensitise government and citizens on the need to urgently arrest the current drift in security.
These were contained in a communique issued at the end of the labour umbrella body’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Kano last week.
While appraising the security situation in the country, the workers ’union s noted that there has been an increase in the wave of insecurity in Nigeria especially as marked by a resurgence in kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, communal clashes, and Boko Haram attacks.
In the document which was sent to The ICIR, NLC reiterated that the primary responsibility of government is the security of lives and property.
It called on government at all levels in the country to rein in the current resurgence in criminality and brigandage.
“The NEC called for improvement in the quality and quantity of policing deployed for the security of citizens and property,” NLC said.
The Congress also emphasized the need for improved intelligence gathering and the use of technology as being of utmost importance as effective measures in the fight against crime, brigandage, and terrorism.
It lamented the recent confessions of a recently arrested bandit who disclosed that helicopters dropped weapons for criminals, which it noted pointed to possible collusion between criminal elements and big-time financiers of criminality.
“The NEC also expressed worries over recent upsurge in attacks by Boko Haram terrorists who recently attacked three local governments of Gubio, Magumeri and Konduga in Borno North and the villages of Dille, Lassa, Ngurthlavu, Dagu, Yaffa, Maikadiri, and Kidlindila in Askira/Uba local government area of Borno South,” it said .
“The NEC also observed that most of the victims of the renewed security breaches in the country are workers and poor citizens. The NEC noted with alarm the impact of the rising wave of criminality on the lives of citizens and the socio-economic conditions in Nigeria particularly its consequences for the attraction and retention of foreign investment.”
Reacting to the delay in the implementation of the new national minimum wage, NLC said the government could no longer hide under protracted negotiations with workers in the public sector for consequential salary adjustment based on the new national minimum wage to delay the implementation of the new national minimum wage.
It insisted that the payment of the new national minimum wage should commence immediately, effective from the day it was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.