If you thought last year’s Workers’ Day was unique because of the novel coronavirus pandemic with its concomitant negative effects that made the day to be celebrated on a very low key, what would you say of this year’s May Day? How would you categorise 2021 Workers’ Day? The circumstances under which Nigerian workers are marking the day appear to be worse than last year’s. Can the traditional march past in a carnival-like atmosphere that characterises Workers’ Day celebrations take place in some 24 states across the countries? Even in the relatively peaceful states, given the tension enveloping the country due to rising insecurity with insurgents, bandits, criminal herdsmen and their likes seemingly having a field day, resulting in deaths and displacement of thousands of Nigerians will it be morally right for workers to hold any May Day parades in any state capital and Abuja? It would be more sensible for workers’ umbrella body, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to cancel any such celebration.
How soon we can return to the carnival-like parades wherein workers from various sectors dressed in colourful segmented uniformed attires and armed with the symbols of their trades march convivially before select dignitaries at packed mini stadia or squares amidst background drums, songs and music, we cannot tell. The mood this year is somber as the average Nigerian worker grapples with the challenge of keeping his head above water in addition to catering for the basic necessities of his family, namely, food, shelter, clothing, education and healthcare. The percentage of those earning salaries is small in comparison to Nigeria’s population. A higher percentage of the country’s population is either unemployed or underemployed.
This puts further stress on the worker as the number of people dependent on him/her is increasing. And with purchasing power shrinking due to galloping inflation, it is to be expected that this leads to frayed nerves. So far, in the first four months of this year alone, we have witnessed a multitude of strike actions. They include those by the judiciary workers (JUSUN), medical doctors under the aegis of resident doctors union, non academic staff union of tertiary institutions, etc. The apparently ‘strike weary’ Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended its nine-month long strike only this year.
The incidence of hypertension has increased among workers of all classes and other segments of our population. Depression, which we generally do not consider as a health problem and so hardly talk about, is higher in our communities now. Jobs are shrinking. Unemployment is a curse, under-employment is a lesser curse of sorts while those lucky to have full time jobs now bear a greater burden – having to feed more mouths amongst their unemployed and underemployed households and families. What is more, salaries and wages are no longer regular as most workers no longer get their pay and stipends as and when due owing to general economic downturn. Even the N30, 000 minimum wage is not being adhered to by many state governments in the face of dwindling revenue. Thus, many workers no longer joyfully keep tab of the days of the month in expectation as there is no certainty as to when or if they would get their salaries and wages in any particular month. Consequently, hope is replaced by depression.
Many Nigerians seek solace in religious activities; others seek to drink away their concealed sorrows and depression but as even the price of alcoholic drinks have soared, they are now turning to local brews – burukutu, ogogoro, etc. Still, others go to the extreme of smoking ‘weed’ or taking intoxicants some of which I understand are now sold over the counter in many places. All of these, however, provide only temporary relief; they do not remove the underlying causes which are rooted in social and economic crises.
Notwithstanding the external pretensions, people are increasingly in need of physical healing (hypertension, depression) and healing of the soul, culminating in seeking answers to the great questions of life, namely, what is the goal of a life on earth; why are we here; where do we go from here; why is there suffering and injustice on earth; why are some born into earthly opulence and ‘enjoyment’ and others condemned to a life-time of penury and earthly sufferings; why can we not all be happy here on earth from the day we are born to the day we take our last breath; why is there hatred; why, why, why…? All of us have been assailed by some of these questions at one time or the other and not being able to think them through logically, we often brush them aside. They continue to crop up now and then, urging us to seek as the words reverberate in us, “Seek and you will find”. Many endeavour to suppress these questions through diversions, by enmeshing ourselves in one form of modern day entertainment or the other. In spite of the unique times in which we live, despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune hitting us all, notwithstanding the tumult all around us, I still wish us all, a happy Workers’ Day. Why? It’s because of the truth that “When the need is greatest, God’s help is nearest to you”!
Ikeano, a journalist, writes via [email protected] 08033077519
