President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, have jointly implored the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to reconsider their plan for an indefinite strike in response to the removal of fuel subsidies,leadership reports.
The organized labor groups had scheduled the commencement of their indefinite strike for Tuesday, October 3, in protest of the fuel subsidy removal under President Tinubu’s administration.
However, during a public lecture and special Juma’at prayer held to mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary at the National Mosque in Abuja on Friday, President Tinubu, represented by Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, made a heartfelt plea to the workers, urging them not to proceed with the strike action.
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Tinubu reiterated his government’s dedication to mitigating the impact of the fuel subsidy removal on workers and the Nigerian population. He advocated for dialogue, understanding, and collaboration to address the country’s current challenges.
“The Sultan has already addressed the NLC strike issue, and I, on behalf of His Excellency, the President, and the entire government, also urge labor leaders to reconsider the strike. Let’s engage in dialogue, come together, comprehend each other, and assess the country’s current situation. It’s through dialogue that we can collectively resolve our challenges,” Senator Jibrin stated.
He further highlighted that the new government was diligently working to provide relief to the nation’s citizens, allocating N500 billion and unveiling other measures to alleviate the impact of subsidy removal, and therefore called for support and prayers for the government.
In an earlier address, the Sultan appealed to organized labor to postpone the strike and grant the federal government another opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue. He emphasized the importance of dialogue and warned that a strike could potentially cause more harm than good.
“On behalf of God, on behalf of Allah, I implore anyone contemplating a strike to please reconsider and give the government another chance. Please rethink and give the government another opportunity,” the Sultan passionately urged, underscoring the significance of labor leaders embracing dialogue.
The Sultan, who has been actively involved in labor leader-government negotiations since 2007, expressed hope on the occasion of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary. He encouraged everyone to maintain hope and expressed confidence that the country would ultimately overcome its challenges.
“Let us hold on to hope; we must hold on to hope, and let us not lose faith. We will eventually succeed,” the Sultan affirmed.
