Ahead of general elections scheduled to hold early next year in 2027, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC)has called on Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that every process of electoral engagements carrying out by the Commission should be transparent and open to all citizens in order to have free, fair, and credible election.
The President of TUC, Comrade (Engr.) Festus Osifo made the call while briefing news men at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Congress held in Abuja on Wednesday.
He observed that as we are moving towards the 2027 general elections where we will be electing the new president to the state houses of government in our country, INEC should ensure that every electoral process is not only open, but should also be transparent to the citizens.
Comrade Osifo believed that it is only when we have leaders that are truly elected by its citizens and that is when they can be responsive. Arguing that those leaders who come into power because of their money bags or feel that it is their godfathers put them there, they will be answerable to them.
"Gentlemen of the press, we are moving towards the 2027 general election where we'll be electing from the president to the state houses of our government in our country. And we wish to urge INEC to ensure that the process that they are currently engaging on is fair to all, the process is open to all, it is transparent, and our election must be free and fair. Because it is when we have leaders that are truly elected by the people, when we have leaders that are truly elected by the electorates, that is when they will be responsive. But if they feel or think that the moneybags, the bigwigs, the godfathers are the ones that have put them into positions they will be answerable to such godfathers.
"So that is why we are imploring INEC to ensure that the rule of engagement is clear, is transparent, and is open to all. Because we want people to be truly elected by those that are in authority or that are seeking for different positions to be truly elected by the people. It is only then that they will become accountable.It is only then that we will feel better dividend of democracy" He said.
The TUC President also said that the National Administrative Council meeting of the Congress was to examining some of the challenges confronting Nigeria currently as a nation ,most especially in the area of insecurity and economy,as well as those issues affecting their respective affiliates.
He observed that over fifteen years now, Nigeria has been facing insecurity challenges despite all efforts putting in place by the government and our security agencies to tackle the challenges but yet we are still faced with huge of insecurity in the country.
According to him, States like Borno, Plateau, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and even Southern part of the country terrorism, kidnapping,bandity and other criminal crimes have become as a business.
"First, as you know, gentlemen of the press, that today we've been facing issues of insecurity in our country maybe in the last 15 years at best. And in our last press briefing, we extended a thank you to the DG of the DSS for the great work that he has been doing. We've seen a number of convictions in recent while and a number of apprehensions without paying ransom.
"We still commend him on that and we still wish that they continue in that trajectory. Same to the National Security Advisor. We know that they don't sleep on a daily basis in order to make the rest of us sleep.
"Having said that, we know as a country that we are still faced with a huge level of insecurity and we are still faced with a huge level of challenges. For example, recently, as we all know, the level of kidnappings and killings in Bakinladi and Riom Plateau has even increased much more. We know very well for a fact that in some areas in our country, states like Zamfara, states like Borno, states like Katsina, even in the southern part of the country, and even Niger state, we have kidnappings still going on as a business."He said.
He also noted that as a result of insecurity, it is very difficult for Nigeria to attract foreign investors into the country. Saying that even the local investors always find it very difficult to put their money into business where there is insecurity.
He said "as a Trade Union Congress, there was a time we proposed that government should carry out what we call violating budget to move funds to that area to procure the necessary equipments, to procure all the necessary gadgets and wipe out these people once and for all. Because Nigeria has been in a state of war for over a decade.
And unless we stamp this out once and for all. it is very difficult to attract foreign investment. It's very difficult to even get local investors putting their money into the economy where there is this level of uncertainty and this level of insecurity.
"Today, as we know, a lot of farmers in some of these areas, they've not gone back to farm. Clearly because of the fact that it's somebody that is alive that could farm. So if we were the farmers that are in those areas that are currently being ravaged by the level of insurgency, would you go to farm? The answer clearly is no.
"So for us, government should double its effort. Government should double the revenue going into fighting security. The funds going to fight the state of insecurity should be increased." Comrade Osifo advised.
On the Nigerian Air Force Aircraft crash at Ondo State recently that claimed 27 lives its personnel, the TUC President gave one minute silent and considered their deaths a big lost not only to the Nigerian Air Force but to the entire nation.
While commended the government for responding immediately by setting up a committee that led to the deaths of 37 minors in the custody of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps in Niger State, Engr. Festus Osifo also called on the government not look at the committee report summited at end of investigation and ensure that whoever involved should face the law and be punish no matter his/her position. Saying it was an aberration, and that shouldn't have happened as a country and as a government.
"Yes, we are quite happy that the government immediately switched into response by setting up a committee. But we don't want the committee report to just be another report that is going to be gathering dust on the shelf. When the committee submits their report, we want the government to act, and act decisively.
"Whoever is culpable, no matter how highly placed, must be decisively dealt with according to the letters and the spirit of a law. So for us, in Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, we are to commiserate with the family of those that lost their lives." He stated.
On the state of our economy, Comrade Osifo noted that in the area of the macro economy things are quite picking up.
He said "we have seen that in the area of inflation, it's getting to some level of stability. And also, in the area that is bordering on exchange rates, it's also gaining some strength.
"If you remember, in 2024, we granted a World Press Conference where we put together a 15-point demand to the federal government of Nigeria. And central to the demand was the issue of exchange rates. We cannot be tired talking about exchange rates because it is central to literally everything.
"Today, the official rate is just a little above 1,300 Naira to the USD. But we say that government can still do better. We commend the CBN governor, Kadoso, for the great work that he's doing in the central bank. But we can still do much more because we still believe that 1,300 Naira to USD is still undervalued. We still believe that Naira should be somewhere between 700 to 800 Naira to USD. As we've often said and as stated in several media, that currently, that our Naira is undervalued and that currently, that our Naira is not trading at the strength it should.
"Yes, we knew that before, when it was around 400, it was overvalued. But today, at 1,300, it's still undervalued. So government should do everything possible to move the Naira to the right value. And from all international commentators, from economic think tanks, both local and international, from scholars, it's been proven that our Naira should be between 700 to 800 Naira to USD. And we want the CBN to drive it down to where it should be. We know they can do it."He said.
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