Nseobong Okon-Ekong extracts comments on the theme of this year’s International Workers’ Day celebration, particularly from the incoming leadership of the National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers (NUGLOW) led by Comrade David Omaghomi
In commemoration of this year’s International Workers’ Day celebration on the First Day of May, organized labour held solidarity rallies and other activities across the country to draw attention to the welfare of workers. All stakeholders centred their engagement on the theme for this year’s celebration, ‘People First’.
President Bola Tinubu assured the organised labour that their understanding, patience, commitment and support in the course of implementing his administration’s policies and programmes are not taken for granted.
He applauded the Nigerian workers for their contributions to ongoing efforts by the government to save the nation’s economy, describing them as “an indispensable component of the nation’s engine,” in the bid to build a just and progressive society.
Speaking through Vice-President Kashim Shettima who represented him at the event at the Eagle Square, Abuja, Tinubu commended the choice of the theme for this year’s May Day celebration, ‘People First’, saying it did not only resonate with his administration’s agenda, but also demonstrates that “the working class holds a central position in the affairs of this nation.” The president’s address was titled, ‘Solidarity in Action: Collaborative Governance, Empowered Workers’.
Noting that it was the first May Day under Tinubu, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, pointed out that the president “believes that every worker deserves to work in an environment free from exploitation, discrimination, and oppression,” noting that the government is “creating workplaces that offer respect, job security and inclusivity for all.”
NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, said, “Leadership is about the people. There is no other measure for success in government except its impact on the lives of the people.”
They urged the government to swiftly conclude negotiations on a national minimum wage that reflects economic realities for Nigerian workers.
“People should be at the heart of every policy. Without making them. the centre of every government policy, the society suffers adversely,” Ajaero said.
Incoming President of the National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers (NUGLOW), Comrade David Omaghomi, said the theme of this year’s Workers Day celebration resonates well with workers in the gaming industry in Nigeria. The gaming ecosystem which contributes in no small measure to good causes and the GDP of the country is powered by people, regardless of the technology, it is people who administer tickets. It is workers who ensure casinos are open. It is people who work as operators, as regulators, who do monitor to ensure the gaming ecosystem is sanitized. It is people who play the games. Regardless of every other aspect of the industry, it is people that matter most. This year’s theme resonates aptly as the people in the gaming industry matter most.
Omaghomi said, “Since the last May Day, we have recorded very remarkable progress in our relationship with operators and regulators. We have also been able to attend two stakeholder dialogue sessions; one organised by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), as well as the Africa Gaming Expo Lagos, which was organised by the Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority. Both events gave us room to meet with other stakeholders and sell the values of the gaming and lottery workers union to the workers in the industry. We received lots of new members into our fold.
Omaghomi added, “We believe that with such progress, as we soon announce the date for our national delegates conference, which is meant to elect new leaders into the union, this engagement will help us see participation from more operators and more regulators across the country. This has been one of our worthy achievements and it led to a higher turnout during the May Day rally of this year in Abuja, Lagos, Delta and Edo states, we had members of the National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers in their numbers.”
Taking a peep into the future, the leadership of NUGLOW foresees improvement in the condition of workers in the days ahead.
“The level of sensitivity to the light of workers in the gaming industry has increased. There is better understanding now by the regulators and the operators alike that the union is not there to antagonize anyone, but rather to protect the ecosystem, to protect businesses, to help in managing the lowest but most important layer of the ecosystem, which is the workers, with improved working conditions. There is also the drive for a new minimum wage across the country. It also means that the workers in the system will get better results and with a more satisfied workforce, there are more sustainable businesses. Not just for the workers, I foresee improvement in the gaming environment as a whole.”
For now, Omaghomi would not be persuaded to name operators that have been outstanding in their welfare package for workers.
He said, “We only name them after our national delegates conference, so we do not pre-empt some regulators or operators to think we are promoting any particular one. However, there has been an improvement in welfare packages by most operators. I don’t want to mention any particular one. After our delegates conference, we will provide this information.”
Once the NUGLOW leadership team is properly inaugurated, it is set to go full blast with plans to protect the job and contracts, while instituting micro pension schemes, health insurance; giving workers industry protection from harassment by security agents or touts, as well as prevention against double taxation. One of Omaghomi’s lofty dreams is the gaming workers’ institute.
“Once we get the necessary accreditation and regulatory support, we will be introducing it to ensure that workers are now able to undertake programmes that will better position them to offer excellent service delivery regardless of where they belong,” he explained. “We are also engaging with labour centres owned by government. It means that the minimum wage that operators and/or sub-agents will give to their workers will also increase.”
Omaghomi commended the contribution of GAMING WEEK, the media platform for collating news, events and features on the industry.
He said, “We want you to continually shine the light on the existence of workers in the industry and their very important role to its development. We will be sharing details of the forthcoming national delegates conference for wider visibility, so that more operators and regulators can send in their delegates to come forward and take elective positions; be part of the incoming leadership of the union and also participate as we work together to develop the ecosystem.
“The media is very important because they reach out to the grassroots; stakers, agents and all categories of people who engage with the industry. The media is important also in ensuring there is a paradigm shift in the minds of people so as to reverse the trend where people see lottery or betting as societal ill rather than seeing it from the positive light of its contribution to nation building through good causes and taxes. Lastly, it’s important that the media make people understand that gaming is the hope of everyone and I usually say without gaming, Nigeria would have gone up in flames because games give hope and hope gives life.”
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