Nigeria and the global communities have been urged to exert pressure on the West, especially the United States of America to lift the economic ban on Cuba in the spirit of the new global economic order and democracy.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Joe Ajaero, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday when he received the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria in his office.
He said that the appeal became necessary because Cuba needs to play a role in the global market adding that the NLC will always support the Cuban struggle for emancipation to ensure that her comparative and competitive advantage will manifest to the interest of the whole world.
“I can’t underscore the relationship between Cuba and the Nigeria Labour Congress, it’s a friendship that has outlived many years, outlived challenges, and it’s a friendship that we need to nurture consciously for it to continue to thrive to greater height.
“Most of the early trade unionists had their baptism in Cuba, later Soviet Union and that was where most of them adopted their left-leaning that was their guiding ideology for the trade union operation in Nigeria”, Ajaero said.
The NLC President also commended what he called the resilience spirit exhibited by Cuba for standing very tall despite the economic blockade against it over the years while still ensuring its “outstanding friendship”, with the NLC.
“The manner the Cuban Embassy here handles issues that affect us is quite commendable.
“In November when we had our challenges because of our job in Imo State, the Ambassador was almost here physically, see the emotional attachment to make sure that all is well, we cannot just push this by the side.
Ajaero promised to continue to work with the Cuban Embassy and the workers there to make sure that “we ensure a world where all manner of discrimination, where social justice, social inequality and discrimination against humanity is eradicated”.
The Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero, was at the Labour House for the investiture in honour of the NLC President Mr Joe Ajaerlo with ‘The Friendship Medal’ by the Cuban President and government.
She said that The Friendship Medal was created by the Cuban Government via a Decree in 1979, and is conferred on “citizens, organisations or institutions, Cubans or foreigners, that individually or collectively have an outstanding activity towards the achievement of a fairer society and the strengthening of fraternal friendship links, cooperation and mutual help among the peoples”.
According to the Ambassador, the President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the people proposed to confer the honour on the NLC President, in acknowledgment of the Congress’s “support and backing to strengthen and deepen the links with our people, based upon brotherhood, solidarity and cooperation at both political and labour levels…”
She also called for continued collaboration and friendship between the Nigeria Labour Congress and Cuba.
Dominica Nwabufo
Comments are closed.