Last week Wednesday was a day that the organised labour, most especially, members of the Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), would hold sacrosanct. It is a day that the trade union movement once again was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the movement is not about activism alone, but equally capable of competing favourably with their employers, as managers of wealth, with the commissioning of the N1.3 billion Ayuba Wabba House. 

 

The massive four-storey building with a basement has the first and second floor as office space meant to be let out, the third floor, the new secretariat of the union, while the last floor is a 41-room ensuite apartments for commercial purpose. This brings the hotel built by the union to three. 

 

The new edifice, which was constructed under the leadership of the immediate past president of the union, who is now the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, took barely two years to be completed, having commenced in 2013 and without a loan from any financial institution. 

 

Expressing delight at the completion of the complex, the Chairman of the event, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole said it was a potent testimonial and 

compelling evidence of what a visionary and determined leader can achieve overtime. 

 

He reasoned that organised labour can achieve more if the leaders can internalize the movement solidarity song which would make them not to agonize, but organize to achieve better results. 

 

 

The former president of the NLC, noted that for Wabba, to have put up such an imposing edifice showed that union leaders are better resource managers. 

He said,"Ifthe structure has been awarded by a government agency, consultancy alone, would be up to Nl billion. It is a value for money and shows that labour can achieve more, what labour has done with Nl billion 'Would have been done by government with N5 billion. 

 

"Members of the movement should come and show this in politics, so that union leaders can show how best to manage the masses resources." 

 

The former labour leader also commended all the members of the union for paying their dues, which he said would have been impossible to complete the project without their sacrifice. 

 

Charging other labour leaders to lead by example and avoid conupt practices, Oshiomhole urged workers to rise up to the challenge of holding their leaders 

accountable. He said, ''Being a trade union leader does not make one inconuptible, workers should not be lenient with conupt leaders as well.

 

For the organised labour to be able to fight the conuption battle, then it must be above board." 

 

The NLC President illd the immediate past president of the union, after whom the building was named, Ayuba Wabba, said moving the union to the present status was a collective efforts of members, who believed in him that the uIDOn, who had nothing could do better.

 

He said, "The beginning was tough, slept in the office several days, no money for flight or hotel, while I used the first two years paying backlog of salaries and gratuities. From there we were able to improve conditions of service for our members, built our secretariat, two hotels, which made our members develop more confidence in the leadership. Then in 2013, the National Executive Council gave me the go ahead to build this new edifice being commissioned today. 

 

The first NLC President, Hassan Sunmonu, however, stated that the edifice constructed under the Wabba's leadership should be an inspiration to other labour 

leaders in the other sectors of the economy as well as a pride to the members of the medical sector. 

 

The incumbent president of MHWUN, Biobelemoye Josiah, extolled the virtues his predecessor, whom he said met a debt profile of N43 milion in 2004, when he 

took over, but was able to bring about a fundamental change as a visionary leader. 

 

Daily Sun