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VENO NEWS: Presidential Election: Is Bola Tinubu Truly A Progressive? By Coker Onita
Date: 06-01-23

In a recent town hall meeting with organised Labour leaders at the Chida Hotel, Abuja, Alhaji (Senator) Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), spoke about his love for Nigerian workers.

He said:â€I am one of you in the fight for good governance.â€

However, his credentials have not exhibited this laudable concept. In year 2002, Mr. Sylvester Akele, a Labour leader in the Lagos State Civil Service led a protest against Tinubuâ€™s government over payment of the minimum wage of N7,500. In the wake of the dispute, Tinubuâ€™s administration set up a â€œworkforce rationalisationâ€ committee, leading to the sacking of 10,000 workers. Labour leader Akele was one of the rejects.

Tinubu refused all entreaties to recall Akele even when some workers were allowed to return to work. Not even the pleas of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi on his deathbed when Tinubu visited him moved His Excellency. Gani begged Tinubu to tell his successor, Governor Babatunde Fashola, to reinstate Akele. Until Akele died in 2020, he was not forgiven, hence unable to collect his emoluments. Can someone with that kind of behaviour be described as a Progressive?

IS THIS THE MAN WHO CALLS HIMSELF PROGRESSIVE?

Progressivism is a political ideology. It posits that it is possible to improve human societies through political actions. Wikipedia adds that as a political movement, Progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reforms based on purported advancement in science, technology, economic development and social organization.

In other words, it refers to a belief that government or people, acting on its behalf, can be used to address social problems and inequalities facing the nation.

Present at Tinubuâ€™s Abuja town hall meeting were Mr. Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Mr. Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC). Here were comrades applauding Tinubu for the period the ceremony lasted, instead of pointing out his deviations and excesses. None was courageous to stand up amongst them to challenge Tinubu, the self-confessed Progressive.

The question to ask is: Is Tinubu truly a Progressive? If he is, could he have kept quiet in the face of tyranny, mismanagement, corruption and bad governance constantly exhibited by this administration he helped put in place? The cow Fulani invasions; the death of Pa Reuben Fasorantiâ€™s daughter in Ondo State; the October 2020 Lekki massacre; the continued disagreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the withholding of eight monthsâ€™ salary. The challenges are legion! And Tinubu cannot continue to address himself as a Progressive if he behaves this way. It amounts to dressing himself in borrowed robes.

No Progressive individual looks the other way when things go wrong, only to come back and behave as if nothing happened. That amounts to deceit. The greatest good for the greatest number is the hallmark of Progressivism.

As Presidential Candidate and a Progressive worth his salt, he should be courageous to speak truth to power, shun all acts of divisionism, parochial political considerations, impunity and many more. Only then, can Tinubu safely assume the sobriquet â€œProgressive.â€ So far, he does not qualify.

FORMER EDITOR OF PRIME PEOPLE AND PUBLISHER/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF TODAYâ€™S CHOICE MAGAZINE (TC), COKER ONITA IS DIRECTOR, INFORMATION AND STRATEGY OF THE ATIKU PEOPLE UNITED (APU)

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