Economic vicissitudes, typified by unsustainable poverty and deprivation presently being experienced by the citizens may have resulted in further trust deficit between the leadership and the led.
Consequently, the seemingly ‘master, servant’ postures at meetings between unions and government officials at issues affecting the generality of the citizens tend to further alienate political leaders from the citizens with the impression that they may be immuned from the present economic hardship.
Their fears are reinforced by recent comments by Ahmad Lawan, Senate president, to the effect that Nigerians who may not be happy with their representatives or their output now should wait till the next election to vote them out.
More worrisome is the fact that in spite of the avowed commitment of the legislature to the upliftment of their constituents from poverty, most of them are still holding on to what most Nigerians regard as undeserved jumbo pay.
Rather, they have vowed to maintain a kind of relationship with the executive to the extent that any bill from the later would be passed expeditiously.
A case in point was the meeting between the federal government and the organised labour over the recent hike in the pump price of petroleum and electricity tariff which has been adjourned till Monday to enable the federal government do a proper consultation on the pump price of petrol with labour, which is insisting on the reversal of the price.
Both parties reconvened on Thursday night, days after the labour leaders walked out of another parley with the federal government to discuss the matter.
In fact, most Nigerians have lost confidence in the union considered to have compromised as evidenced in their non action in recent times over increases in pump and electricity prices.
Similarly, the current executive Petroleum Industry Bill, which, according to the legislature, will be passed first quarter of 2021, is being criticised by stakeholders as lacking the much needed discussions and collaboration so as to meet the expectations of the citizens, particularly as it relates to interests of host communities, derivation and need for special levies to take care of deprivation and segregation of the people and the enviroment.
Specifically, Chris Ngigie, Labour and employment minister had in his opening remarks during the meeting in Abuja, said Sunday’s event was not a walkout but a recess.
He insisted that both parties – the government and the labour unions – were working for the betterment of the nation.
Ngige stressed that the issues at stake, which included the hike in electricity tariff and the price of petrol, do not only affect the citizens but also those on the government’s side.
Similarly, Boss Mustapha, secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who was also at the meeting gave an assurance that the government would ensure that resolutions reached would be for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
Mustapha also thanked the labour leaders for their show of patriotism, stressing that what happened on Sunday was a recess and not a breakdown of discussions.
But, some analysts see responses of both Ngigie and Mustapha as derogatory and seemingly detached, projecting them as operating from another planet.
“If not, how else would one view comments by both elected and appointed leaders who are obviously telling the whole world that that they are fighting a course that foes not affect them and their families,“ says an analyst.
“If all of us are affected by closure of federal universities for over 8 months and buying fuel from same filling stations or paying electricity bills, do you think our elected and appointed leaders would and even the leadership at the centre would talk or not talk in this manner under the present circumstances,“ asks another analyst.
Peter Esele, TUC President, who was also at the meeting stressed the need for sincerity on the part of the government to enable the meeting to arrive at a logical conclusion.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, was absent at the meeting, but he was represented by Joe Ajaero, the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE).
In fact, Ajaero disagreed with the remarks of the labour minister and the SGF that the last meeting was a recess, insisting that it did not end peacefully.
He also insisted that the agenda for discussion should be presented for adoption before going forward.
“Would you regard these comments as coming from people with same mission and vision,“ asks a stakeholder, who equally pleaded for anonymity.
Others in attendance at the meeting included, Festus Keyamo,Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Timipre Sylva, minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Sadiya Farouk, minister of Humanitarian Affairs.
