Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed that when he assumed office in 1999, factions within Nigeria’s labour movement were allegedly being funded by foreign intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Obasanjo said the discovery informed his decision to reform Nigeria’s labour movement to ensure the emergence of an independent, nationally controlled workers’ union.
The former president made the disclosure on Wednesday at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, during the 85th birthday celebration and book presentation in honour of a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Hassan Summonu.
According to Obasanjo, Nigeria’s two dominant labour centres at the time were beneficiaries of foreign funding dating back to the Cold War era.
“These two labour organisations are Nigerian labour organisations, but they were not being financed or funded by Nigeria. I don’t know if you know that, but that was the reality,” Obasanjo said.
He alleged that one of the labour centres was backed by the Soviet-era KGB, while the other received support from the CIA.
“One was being financed by KGB. That is the truth. And the other one was being financed by CIA. I think Hassan belonged to the one being financed by KGB,” he stated.
Obasanjo said the situation was unacceptable to him as president and prompted a comprehensive labour reform.
Explaining his rationale, the former president said Nigeria needed a labour union that was organised, controlled and funded internally.
“And then I came on the scene. I needed for Nigeria, 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 said.
He added that Justice Adebiyi was appointed to oversee the reform process.
Obasanjo said the reforms eventually led to the creation of a single national labour body — the Nigeria Labour Congress — without direct government interference in leadership selection.
“And Justice Adebiyi finished his job and we reformed the labour without government’s hand, they elected their leader. And Hassan became the first leader they elected,” he said.
Reflecting on the outcome, Obasanjo added, “I don’t know how Hassan felt at that time, but I felt comfortable.”
The former president noted that relations between government and organised labour improved under the reformed structure while maintaining the union’s independence.
He also praised Summonu for strengthening labour leadership in Nigeria and expanding its influence across Africa and globally.
Obasanjo further disclosed that he wrote the foreword to Summonu’s new book, in which he highlighted the former labour leader’s contributions to national development.