The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly opposed moves to transfer labour-related matters from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List in the ongoing constitutional review process.

 

Lagos State NLC Chairperson, Mrs. Funmi Sessi, made the union’s position clear during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, held in Lagos. The hearing, organized by the Senate, was part of a nationwide consultation happening simultaneously across all six geopolitical zones.

 

Sessi warned against attempts by certain “clandestine interests” working with some lawmakers to remove labour provisions outlined in Schedule 1, Item 34 of the 1999 Constitution. According to her, such a move would empower state governments to bypass national labour laws and create conditions akin to “slave labour camps.”

 

She stressed that shifting labour matters to the Concurrent List would dismantle the national minimum wage framework—an arrangement Nigeria committed to when it ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention No. 026 in 1961.

 

“This would pave the way for exploitation, as many state governors already violate labour laws and suppress trade union activities despite current constitutional protections,” she said. “Moving labour matters to the Concurrent List would be an existential threat to Nigerian workers.”

 

She added that Nigerian workers would not hesitate to resist such changes, even at great personal cost.

 

On electoral reforms, Sessi urged the Senate to adopt and implement recommendations from the late Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee. She emphasized the need for a truly independent Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insulated from political interference.

 

She proposed that INEC leadership be selected from a broad spectrum of civil society, including the Nigerian Bar Association, labour unions, women’s groups, the disabled community, CSOs, faith-based organizations, and political parties. This, she said, would help restore confidence in the electoral process.

 

Sessi also advocated for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to punish perpetrators of election-related crimes and deter anti-democratic behavior. Additionally, she called for the restructuring of INEC into specialized agencies to address recurring pre- and post-election issues.

 

She recommended the adoption of proportional representation to gradually replace the First-Past-the-Post system and demanded full implementation of electronic and diaspora voting.

 

On broader constitutional matters, Sessi called for Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution—which covers the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy—to be made justiciable, thereby holding governments more accountable to citizens.

 

She also pushed for reforms in areas such as:

 

Gender equity

 

Public finance management

 

Security sector restructuring

 

Oversight institution independence

 

Local government and judicial autonomy

 

Education, housing, poverty alleviation, and wealth creation

 

Human rights, access to justice, and police reforms

 

State creation and restructuring of Nigeria’s federal system

 

 

In response, Senate Deputy President Jubrin Barau, represented by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, assured that all submissions would be thoroughly considered by the National Assembly. He emphasized that the public hearings were meant to reflect the voices and demands of Nigerians.

 

Other civic groups, including youth, student, and women’s organizations, also presented their positions during the two-day hearing.