As Nigeria observes 32 years after the annulment of the watershed and epochal June 12 1993 presidential election won by Chief Moshood Abiola, a call has been made for quality control measures to further deepen democracy in Nigeria.
The call was made by the Director General of Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour studies (MINILS) Comrade Issa Aremu in Geneva.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 113th International Labour Conference of the ILO, Comrade Aremu cited the enactment of four national minimum wage Acts since 1999, constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of association, expression and assembly as notable achievements in the labour sector in the past 26 years of democracy.
According to him there has been renewed labour market activism unleashed by the Renewed Hope Reform Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at job creation through the envisaged 2.5.million LEEP launched by Minister of State for Labour, and employment of 774 health fellows and improved minimum wage.
He observed that the challenge in the next two years lies in the review of 2024 minimum as the premier Institute is ever ready to create platform for stakeholders engagement for effective negotiation through mass education on collective bargaining and social dialogue.
Comrade Aremu noted that the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) in 2020 to uphold the rights of Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD), ensuring their full participation in society and access to opportunities was another milestone in democratic process.
The Director General however suggested that it was time to also deepen workplace democracy to complement the promotion of democracy at the national level.
He regretted that Workplace democracy violations occur globally, ranging from restrictions on workers’ rights to outright suppression of rights, cyber bullying and sexual harassment contrary to labour laws and international labour conventions.
