CIA, KGB Once Funded Nigeria’s Labour Movt –Obasanjo

Do you know that the foreign intelligence agencies like the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and Soviet Union’s KGB once funded the labour movement in Nigeria?

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo made the disclose yesterday adding that this happened during a critical stage of Nigeria’s development.

Speaking at the 85th birthday celebration and public presentation of the memoir of a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Hassan Sunmonu, he said the development exposed Nigeria’s labour system to external control.

The involvement of the foreign intelligence agencies, Obasanjo added also raised grave concerns about Nigeria’s national sovereignty, precipitated by the prevailing cold war situation between the two global powers as they strove to keep a hold of strategic countries.

The two countries dominated the labour movements and although the labour unions were Nigerian by name, they were financed and influenced by opposing global power blocs.

According to Obasanjo, “.. these two labour organisations are Nigerian labour organisations but they were not organised or funded by Nigeria.

“I don’t know if you know that, but that was the reality.

“One was being financed by KGB, that is the truth, and the other one was being financed by CIA, that was the truth, and then I came on the scene.”

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“I needed a Nigerian labour union organised by Nigeria, controlled by Nigeria, financed by Nigeria. So I decided there was going to be a labour union reform”, he recalled.

Obasanjo said, recalling that the reform process was spearheaded by Justice Adebiyi.

Recalling that Hassan Sumonu was forthcoming enough to query his knowledge about labour matters, he recalled:

“Of course, I don’t know anything about labour but I know that I wanted a Nigerian labour organisation organised by Nigeria, headed by Nigeria, and funded by Nigeria,” he said.

“When Justice Adebiyi finished his job and we reformed the labour and party law establishing NLC, what happened? Without government’s hand, they elected their leader and Hassan became the first leader they elected. I don’t know how I felt at that time, but I felt comfortable.”