In order to prevent internal strife among its members, the National Union of Butchery Workers of Nigeria (NUBWN)/National Butchers Union of Nigeria petitioned the Federal Ministry of Labor and Employment on Wednesday to cancel the registration of a recently established parallel union.
Chief John Osamede Adun, the union’s national president, called for the Minister of Labor and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, to step in immediately and denounced the new “National Union of Butchery Employees of Nigeria” as unlawful during a national executive meeting in Benin City, Edo State.
Adun emphasised the union’s commitment to peace and urged caution to prevent a potential crisis, saying, “Our Union was registered in 1966, and not a baby Union.”
The union’s national president, who frowned at a situation where two unions are performing the same functions and roles said: “We have written through our lawyers to the Ministry of Labour to rescind the registration of the rival union.
“We observed with dismay that the sole aim of registration of a new Butchers Union is to cause division, disunity and disaffection among the existing and age-long National Union of Butchery Workers of Nigeria (NUBWN)/ National Butchers Union of Nigeria.
“We are not in support of the crisis in Edo State Butchers Union and we call on the federal government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment to cancel the registration of the newly registered body to avert any bloody confrontation by our members in Edo State,” he said.
National Secretary Ahmed Muhammed Borgu, who criticized the federal government’s registration of a parallel body, stated that if the matter is not resolved right now, a crisis may ensue. He pointed out that resentful members typically utilize the Butcher’s Union hand tools—knives and cutlasses—to start a fight.
According to Borgu, the government needs to step in right away to guarantee that the 1966-registered founding union continues to be the sole recognized and lawful union. He cautioned those who were planning to create a parallel union to stop immediately and not disturb the harmony within the Edo State union.
He urged the judiciary and ministry to revoke the newly established body’s registration in order to bring unity back.
