The Speaker of the House of Representatives has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to stay action on the planned nationwide strike action on the expiration of the 21 days ultimatum issued by the federal government.

In a speech on resumption of the House from it’s annual recess, the Speaker argued that embarking on a nationwide strike at this point will only aggravate an already bad situation for Nigerians.

The Speaker urge the leadership of Labour Unions to give the House the benefit of doubt and suspend any planned strike action while it engage the executive on the need to ensure a living wage for Nigerian workers.

He noted: “As the peoples’ representatives, we feel and equally share in the pains of our people at these very difficult times.

“However, I would like to appeal to the Nigerian Labour Congress to consider the various actions being taken by the Federal Government to alleviate the current hardship faced by Nigerians. As promised earlier, this House remains committed to getting a survival wage to all Nigerian workers.

“The 10th House had assured Nigerians that we would be interfacing between the organized labour and the government to quickly work out a realistic new national minimum wage and such other palliatives to enable citizens cope with the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal, the downward fall of the naira to the dollar, skyrocketing cost of food and general high cost of living in the country.”

The Speaker acknowledged that Nigerians are faced with high cost of living crisis occasioned by high cost of energy, cost of food is skyrocketing daily, lack of livable wages, the negative effects of the unpredictable and fluctuating foreign exchange rates, a disappearing middle class and a host of other issues.

He assured that the House would do all within its powers to alleviate the hardship faced by Nigerians.

He added: “When people are hungry and despondent, what is needed is a leadership with a clear vision, a leadership that on daily basis, demonstrates its commitment and capacity to tackle the challenges at hand; a leadership that should be innovative in proffering short and long term solutions.

” That is what Nigerians need at this time and as Representatives of the people, we must rise up to the occasion.

“While the Executive Arm of government is engaging the citizens and trying to work out strategies to tackle the hardship in the country, our legislative actions must therefore be dictated by a clear robust vision aimed at supporting the Executive in restoring our citizens on the path of prosperity.

” We must deploy the necessary legislative instruments to create jobs, ensure payment of living wages in the civil service, pull Nigerians out of poverty, address the prevailing infrastructure deficit, rid the country of crippling insurgency; ensure the security of lives and property and affordable functional education so that no child is left behind.”