By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
With barely a year to the 2023 general elections, the Amalgamated Union of Public Cooperations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) have urged workers and indeed Nigerians to elect credible leaders into public offices.
The Union also call on youths in the country to shun thuggery and other electoral malpractices that would throw the nation into serious chaos.
It equally called on the Federal Government to end the spate of kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and other forms insecurity in the country.
Comrade Benjamin Anthony, National President of the Union, made the call at the opening of its Quadrennial National Delegates Conference on Thursday in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.
Anthony said, insecurity in the country has assumed an alarming dimension.
He maintained that the scourge is still a major challenge to “peaceful and harmonious existence” among the citizenry.
According him, “The State of insecurity has become so high that violent robberies no longer catch the headlines.
He however decried that, “Despite all efforts put in place to defeat boko haram, the continuous attack on innocent civilians and ambush on our military still remains a challenge.
“The unfortunate and avoidable endless bloodbath in some parts of Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger states is worrisome”, he lamented.
“Kidnnapers have taken over our roads creating serious fears on minds of the masses especially travelers by road.
“So, government has a duty to deal firmly and decisively with these challenges and restore normalcy to all parts of this country,” he said.
The President further called on Nigerians to be security conscious and support goverment and security agencies in addressing the myriad of security challenges bedeviling the country.
On the planned partnership between some State Government in privatisating the water sector, Anthony called on the Lagos, Plateau, Bauchi, and all other States in the country to jettisoned their planned Public Private Partnership(PPP) and other forms of privatisation especially in the water sector.
The Union also called on the Federal Government to declaration of a State of emergency in the water sector in Nigeria.
The Union also called on the National Assembly to vehemently reject any attempt by any person or group to reintroduce the National Water Resources bill hitherto stepped down.
The conference had a theme: “Building a New Nigeria -The Role of the Working Class in Advancing Decent Work Agenda and National Transformation in the Era of New Normal”.
Declaring open the 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE held in Jos, Governor Simon Lalong said AUPCTRE timely and effective interventions on many issues, have been successful in safeguarding the interests of vulnerable sections of members of the society.
Lalong who was represented by his deputy Prof. Sunny Tyoden at the occasion noted that they are aware that AUPCTRE play a key role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria and a leading part of Nigeria’s Civil Society whereby they are a leading voice for workers in Nigeria.
He assured that the State Government will continue to support their valiant efforts to protect the interests of working people, their families and communities noting that in recent years, they have collaborated closely with the union in a number of initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting the workers’ rights, entitlements, their economic and social wellbeing.
