Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday said when he took over government, a faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was being funded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Obasanjo was a military head of state and civilian president of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007.
He said this formed his decision to reform Nigeria’s labour movement so as to create an independent and nationally-controlled workers’ union.
He recalled that prior to the reforms, the country’s two dominant labour centres were allegedly receiving funding from foreign intelligence agencies, beginning from the Cold War era.
Obasanjo stated this at Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, venue of the 85th birthday celebration and book presentation in honour of a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Hassan Summonu.
According to him, one of the unions was backed by the Soviet-era KGB, while the other received support from the CIA.
Obasanjo said this situation prompted him to initiate reforms aimed at establishing a single Nigerian labour movement that would be organised, funded, and controlled internally.
“I have a few stories to tell about him, which I believe I should tell, because I may not have any other occasion to tell it. Hassan, do you remember, when Goodluck was leading one of the two major labour unions?
“These two labour organisations are Nigerian labour organisations, but they were not being financed or funded by Nigeria. I don’t know if you know that, but that was the reality.
“One was being financed by KGB. That is the truth. And the other one was being financed by CIA. I think Hassan belonged to the one being financed by KGB.
“And then I came on the scene. I needed for Nigeria, a Nigerian labour union, organised by Nigeria, controlled by Nigeria, financed by Nigeria. So I decided there was going to be a labour union reform. And I think the man I put in charge is Justice Adebiyi,” he said.
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He explained that Justice Adebiyi was appointed to lead the reform process, which ultimately resulted in the establishment of the Nigeria Labour Congress as the unified national labour body.
Following the creation of the congress, Summonu became its first elected leader.
“And Hassan was one of those who was in the forefront to ask, what do I know about labour that I’m asking for reform? What is my business? And of course, I don’t know anything about labour, but I know that I wanted a Nigerian labour organisation organised by Nigeria, headed by Nigeria, and funded by Nigeria.
“And Justice Adebiyi finished his job and we reformed the labour without government’s hand, they elected their leader. And Hassan became the first leader they elected. I don’t know how Hassan felt at that time, but I felt comfortable,” Obasanjo said.
The former President noted that the relationship between the government and the labour movement improved under the new structure, while maintaining the union’s independence.
He praised Summonu for strengthening labour leadership in Nigeria and expanding its influence across Africa and globally.
The former president also revealed that he wrote the foreword to Summonu’s new book, in which he highlighted the labour leader’s contributions to national development.