By Katdapba Y Gobum
For Comrade Eugene Manji Gotau; he is not oblivious that the history of the struggle for workers’ rights is replete with various success stories; and even disappointments.
All genuine comrades in the struggle for workers’ rights, nothing captures the essence than to keep rising in the process; while enjoying its dividends.
For Comrade Eugene, like most who are or have been involved in unionism, the place of mentoring is never an option. It is desirable for progress.
Those ahead are often inundated by younger turks who want to travel far in the trade. Mentoring has always been part of the struggle; otherwise, most would remain progressive dwarfs.
The trend was not lost in Eugene’s trajectory; he was not oblivious of the road he had chosen. In the years that have gone by, Plateau State was lucky to have had some firebrand unionists whose actions and voices are often an anathema to the establishment.
That has not abated, since then. Those who know, give credence to the progressive womb that keeps birthing the combatants in each season.
While yours sincerely does not desparage the contributions of those whose struggles woke Manji’s latent power of unionism; Comrade Yusuf Zambuk and Comrade Jibrin Banchir Kamga readily come to mind. He may have others, yours sincerely cannot be oblivious of the influence of those in the journey.
He grew up professionally on the plane of this orientation; always demanding what is due to the workforce, while making governments over the years uncomfortable for the purposes he was elected for.
His persistence for union activism paid off sooner than he must have thought; thanks to the tutelage he went under some senior unionists, whose antecedence speaks more of how they were held.
At some point, he was Plateau State Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), member of the Joint Negotiations Council and before long, he was its National Financial Secretary and serving as, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Plateau State Council. The tenure is in its final stages.
The foundation to the top was indeed solid and the credentials intimidating, to say the least, for future assignments, he had looked forward to.
The outcome of the 7th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held in Kano for Eugene may well be the elixir needed for the mantle to lead AUPCTRE in the next four years.
The Kano delegates conference held September 23 and 24, 2026 was not fortuitous, after all, Governor Abba Yusuf; being an AUPCTRE member must influenced the choice of his state to host the event. Indeed, it paid off, the event lived up to expectation.
The conference has received commendations as worthy of emulation from no less a person than the Registrar of Trade Unions, who represented the Minister of Labour and Employment.
The others who were attracted to the conference were government and labour leaders, including representatives of the governors of Kano, Bauchi and Plateau State.
From the home state of the new President, the Permanent Secretary, Labour, Mr Peter Lamba was among dignitaries present at the conference.
Also present were the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero; President of the Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) , President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) as well as representatives of Public Services International (PSI).
Manji’s declaration that the time to take AUPCTRE to a higher pedestrial was the reward for the confidence reposed by his members in his team.
His predecessor, Comrade Benjamin Anthony, came on board in October 2017 at the time industry players acclaim as turbulent. In his eight years of steering the ship, he was able to calm the storm and set the Union on the path of stability, that turned out into victories.
The marks set by Comrade Benjamin Anthony in the last eight years are not lost on the new helmsman. He is aware that the campaign for accessible and affordable public services are the currency needed for the public to enjoy them without profit.
He has been in the forefront over the years in the campaigns concerning public service delivery and the impunity that has been associated with privatization of water and other public utilities, however, strongly advocating for constructive and healthy relationship between the union and civil society.
For those who know, Manji has also been a frontline voice against the privatization of water, and thus standing firm with civil society groups who are advocating for Public Public-Public Partnerships (PuP); rather than turn ‘essential services into profit- oriented commodities.’
Comrade Manji’s take over of the reins of leadership of a union that is stronger and united in purpose, the pursuit for “accountability, affordability and universal access” to public services are not discounted.
His resolve and capacities are not in doubt; we can only end up wishing him all the best on this journey.
