Joe Ajero Emerges As New NLC President

Former General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero, has been elected as the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Ajaero, who won on consensus vote at the 13th NLC National Delegates Conference in Abuja on Wednesday, takes over from Ayuba Wabba, who took office in 2015.

In his acceptance speech, Ajaero said the executives are committed to pursuing the interest and desires of workers and Nigerians, and urged the government to review the privatisation policy on the electricity sector

The new NLC president promised that his leadership would speak for the millions of Nigerians and also seek a platform to lift them out of poverty.

He said: ”We, therefore, pledge our loyalty to the NLC, workers, the Nigerian people and the country. Our thoughts and actions shall be propelled by this avowal.”

Ajaero said his leadership will pursue a new national minimum wage law that will take into consideration the objective reality of the socio-economic situation, and expand its reach to capture more workers.

He said the wage review law will be addressed through the national labour advisory council, to ensure that all loopholes exploited by employers on making workplaces more decent are blocked.

“We urge all employers of labour who have unsettled issues with their workers and unions to immediately resolve them to avoid our intervention,” he said.

Other members of the executives elected include the Deputy National President, Adewale Adeyanju; Deputy National President, Audu Amber; and Deputy National President, Kabiru Sani.

Also elected are Vice-President, Benjamin Anthony; Vice-President, Steve Okoro; Vice-President, Michael Nnachi; Vice-President, Olawole Sunday; National Treasurer, Ambali Olatunji; Financial Secretary, Marwan Adamu; National Trustee, Williams Akporeha; as well as Babatunde Olatunji, Mohammed Ibrahim and Haruna Ibrahim as Internal Auditors.