As Nigeria celebrates its 61st independence anniversary, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused Nigerian leaders of being interested only in looting the national treasury.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, made the call in a statement on Thursday.

”Our political leaders shifted their eyes from the dreams of a great country. They became fixated with the delusion of personal conquests through the primitive accumulation of wealth aided by a deliberate divide and rule politics,” lamented the NLC. ”Till today, after many successive governments, our country is yet to recover from the tsunami of ethno-religious politics, values disorientation, and the weakening of unifying institutions.”

The labour union noted that “the symptoms of the break in our progress march stare us hard in the face” and added that “our deterioration has come so fast and furious.”

It mentioned that the country had inadvertently surrendered “our will and space” for development to very unreasonable” pursuits.

He added that violent and destructive non-state actors had not only become a “law unto themselves” trying to impose “their regime of lawlessness on all.”

The NLC further said it was time to “own up to the truth of the self-inflicted” pains and examine closely where Nigerians lost it as a nation, pointing out that it is not too late to resume “the paused march to greatness.”

”We can still become that country that accords the pride of place to truth, productivity, hard work, excellence, integrity, patriotism, service, and sacrifice. We can still create industries for our teeming youths to gain decent jobs,” the NLC statement added. ”We can still provide the excellent infrastructure that inspires inclusive economic growth. “We can still foster an atmosphere of the rule of law, equity, social justice, peace, law and order as a sustainable cure for the deregulated crises of violence in many parts of Nigeria.”

(NAN)