The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticised political leaders in the country, accusing them of demanding painful sacrifices from workers while failing to make meaningful sacrifices in governance.

In its Easter message to Nigerian workers and citizens, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the suffering of workers through rising transportation costs, insecurity and power shortages contrasts sharply with the selfless sacrifice demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

Ajaero said the Easter season should serve as a lesson for leaders to embrace sacrificial service rather than using public office for personal enrichment.

He said: “As we celebrate Easter this year, the Nigeria Labour Congress salutes the resilience, the unyielding spirit, and the daily struggle for dignity, justice, and a better life of all Nigerian workers and masses.”

He added that the season was not merely a religious observance but a moment to reflect on justice, sacrifice and leadership.

“This season is not merely a religious ritual; it is a deep moment of ideological clarity. It reminds us that the infinite love of God for humanity was demonstrated not in abstract words, but in the ultimate act of sacrifice, the giving of His only begotten Son, Jesus, to break the chains of sin and death.”

The labour leader, however, lamented that the sacrifices demanded of Nigerian workers were involuntary and largely caused by poor governance.

“The sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary was not for personal gain, but for the redemption of the people. In contrast, the sacrifices demanded of Nigerian workers today are ones we never consented to the sacrifice of our wages on the altar of profiteering, the sacrifice of our safety on the altar of insecurity, and the sacrifice of our very lives on the altar of missed opportunities to govern effectively.”

Ajaero also accused leaders of insulating themselves from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians.

“This is while our leaders hide in armoured vehicles or surround themselves with heavy security, refusing to make any significant sacrifice.”

The NLC president urged political leaders to draw lessons from the message of Easter by prioritising policies that improve the welfare of citizens.

“We call on Nigerian leaders to learn from the Cross. They must stop seeing governance as an opportunity for primitive accumulation and instead see it as a platform for sacrificial service.”

Ajaero added that government policies must focus on liberating citizens from hardship rather than deepening inequality saying, “Policies must be tools of liberation, not weapons of oppression.

He expressed concern over the rising cost of transportation and the persistent electricity crisis, which he said have worsened the living conditions of workers.

“Today, the soaring cost of transportation is a heavy yoke on the necks of workers. It devours our wages, steals our time, and reduces our existence to a daily struggle for survival.”

He further noted that the country’s power challenges have had devastating effects on businesses and households.

“The absence of electricity inducing darkness across the nation is not merely a technical failure; it is a weapon of mass disempowerment. It cripples our industries, kills our small businesses, and plunges our homes into darkness.”

The labour leader, therefore, called on the government to adopt policies that prioritise workers’ welfare, restore public transportation and address insecurity.

“We demand that the pains of today be transformed into a victory for the people through the implementation of policies that restore public transportation, end the electricity crisis, stop the killings and place the welfare of the masses above the profits of a privileged few.”

Ajaero also warned against the suppression of workers’ rights and dissent, describing such actions as a betrayal of leadership.

“The use of state power to suppress workers’ rights, to silence dissent, or to impose austerity that benefits a tiny elite while crushing the majority is a betrayal of the very essence of leadership.”

Despite the challenges, he expressed optimism that Nigerian workers would ultimately overcome hardship through unity and collective action.

“Just as Christ emerged triumphant, so shall the Nigerian worker emerge from the grave of poverty, exploitation, and bad governance.”

He added that the labour movement would continue to advocate for policies that promote social justice and equitable distribution of national wealth.

“The NLC remains committed to this struggle. We will continue to work for a Nigeria where the wealth of the nation is used for the welfare of the many, not the luxury of the few.”

He wished Christians and Nigerians a happy Easter and urged them to renew their commitment to justice and national progress.