NLC Demands Review of Tax Laws, Urges Deeper Labour–Government Engagement at Summonu Book Launch
By Darasimi Kikelomo
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently review Nigeria’s tax laws, fully constitute the PENCOM Board, and deepen engagement with organised labour, warning that exclusionary policymaking undermines democracy and worsens hardship for workers and the poor.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made the call in Abuja on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, during his welcome remarks at the launch of the memoir Organise, Don’t Agonise and the 85th birthday celebration of Comrade Hassan Summonu, OON.
The event, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, drew labour leaders, civil society actors, and dignitaries to honour Summonu’s legacy as a founding president of the NLC and a leading voice of the Nigerian working class.
Describing Summonu as “a titan of the working-class struggle,” Ajaero said the title of the memoir captures a defining principle of the labour movement.
“Organise, Don’t Agonise is not just a book title; it is a militant creed that has defined Comrade Summonu’s journey and the very soul of our movement,” Ajaero said. “He taught us that the power of the people, when organised, is the ultimate answer to agony imposed by exploitation and poor governance.”
Ajaero noted that the celebration transcended a personal milestone, offering an opportunity to reflect on Nigeria’s socioeconomic direction and the conditions facing workers.
“This is a moment of reflection on the state of our nation and the condition of the working people whose sweat builds it,” he said, adding that Summonu’s memoirs recall an era of “principled engagement and relentless organising.”
From that standpoint, the NLC president questioned the transparency of public finance and borrowing.
“That is why the question Comrade Summonu publicly posed a few days ago resonates: where are all the monies being borrowed by the federal government?” Ajaero said.
Turning to policy engagement, Ajaero argued that the philosophy of Organise, Don’t Agonise applies to governance as well.
“The state has a duty to engage, not enrage,” he said. “Policies, from fuel pricing to taxation, from wages to social services, must be crafted with the active, respected input of those who represent workers and the broader masses.”
He cited the ongoing controversy around Nigeria’s new tax laws as a “poignant example” of the consequences of excluding labour and the public from policymaking.
“The Tax Laws went through a process that clearly excluded Nigerian workers and masses who are the major taxpayers,” Ajaero said. “Tax that taxes the national minimum wage is not fair. Tax that imposes heavy burdens on workers and the poor is regressive.”
Ajaero urged the government to pause implementation, rethink the framework, and address public concerns, warning that uncertainty over which version of the law applies could undermine tax administration and democratic credibility.
He also demanded the immediate and full constitution of the PENCOM Board, cautioning against what he described as “grandstanding” in place of lawful, inclusive governance.
“Your legacy must be in crafting foundational and credible laws that strengthen institutions, not undermine them,” Ajaero said. “When you bypass key stakeholders and rule by strong arm, you negate public trust and threaten national stability.”
Concluding, Ajaero called on the government to urgently address workers’ wages ahead of the next statutory negotiations on the national minimum wage, and pledged that the labour movement would keep Summonu’s message alive.
“We will continue to organise. We will continue to challenge power,” he said. “We will fight for a Nigeria where no worker has to agonise over poverty, insecurity, heavy taxation, or a stolen future.”
The event ended with renewed calls for unity and collective action, echoing a longstanding labour refrain that, Ajaero said, remains as relevant today as ever: “The people united can never be defeated.”
