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By Ebubu Egbufor
Worried over the persistent threats of strike actions by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), a veteran Niger Delta development protagonist, High Chief (Prof) Jasper Jumbo has charged the organised Labour unions to sit down with “all maturity and negotiate with the Federal Government for the betterment and welfare of the people.”
Prof Jumbo who spoke recently with journalists at the Obafemi Awolowo International Airport, Omagwa expressed displeasure on the way the NLC and their TUC counterparts are “politicising an otherwise economic issue”, adding that they are making people to misconstrue their intentions as if they are bought over to undersell, undermine and sabotage the government.
He enjoined them to handle the matter with caution as the nation has limited resources and funds available, considering the type of economy President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited from the last administration.
Recall that the organised Labour unions have agreed to embark on a nationwide strike from Tuesday, October 3, 2023, a decision reached after the alleged failure of the federal government to successfully implement policies to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians occasioned by the removal of subsidy on the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as fuel.
Prof Jumbo maintained that the president has already put in place measures to alleviate the sufferings of the people, though it might be a little bit painful at the moment, and urged Nigerians to make that sacrifice to get to the promised Land as according to him, “you don’t make omelette without breaking eggs.
“There is a renewed hope, there is a transformative agenda that is coming onstream”, he said adding that the federal government palliative is reaching the grassroots and enjoined the NLC to stop playing politics with the issue at hand and “let us think how all of us can contribute to help the government”.
Tinubu, according to him, has shown, from the trips he has made to several countries that he is bringing back faith unlike past administrations.
He said strike action is not the best and advised Nigerians to learn a lesson from the Monday Sit-at-home strike in the South Eastern part of the country which is impacting negatively on the economy of the South Eastern states.
Speaking on the clamour for wage increment for civil servants, the elder statesman said he is in full support of the idea of increasing the salaries of public servants because the cost of living is high and used the opportunity to call on the private sector to also increase the salaries of those working for them.
