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Labour chides Federal Government over naira, petrol scarcity

By Gloria Nwafor
03 February 2023   |   2:19 pm
Organised labour has come against the Federal Government over the continued scarcity of fuel and naira notes, stating that the informal economy is the worst hit.

New Naira Notes

…says informal economy suffering

Organised labour has come against the Federal Government over the continued scarcity of fuel and naira notes, stating that the informal economy is the worst hit.

Lamenting that this was not the best time for government, its machineries and players, labour said the country would continue to be in serious trouble, except it urgently rejigs the informal economy.

President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Tommy Okon, who expressed Nigerians’ concerns and pains, said the economic advisers to the government have failed in their capacities.

This is just as the President of the Nigeria labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, also condemned the sufferings the masses are being put through as elections near.

Noting that labour does not want to be seen as people that will derail the current democratic dispensation, Wabba, said going on strike would only play into the hands of those that do not want the nation’s democracy to work.

He said what was required from the government was to fix the refineries and also allow an enabling environment for other key actors to build refineries, saying “that is the way to go.”

The ASCSN boss condemned the government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for not understanding the policy rather than making life difficult for workers.

Okon said leading a protest or shutting down the economy would only make the government feast on it to postpone the general elections.

He expressed optimism that Nigeria could be a better nation when the right leadership that has the competence, capacity, content and capacity to move forward, adding that Nigerians should also ensure they get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to elect credible leaders that would move the country forward.

“Nigeria is like a vehicle without an engine, and not yet uhuru for the incoming administration, because the next president is going to face the issues he never bargained for. We in the labour movement don’t want to take chances because if we lead a protest, the government will cash in on that and say the economy is not conducive for the conduct of elections. We are very conscious of it. We are now applying a scientific approach to industrial relations.

“Our PVC is our weapon and for any government that is anti-worker would be voted out, irrespective of religion, political affiliation, but conscious of someone who has the capacity, competency, capability and contents to deliver.

“Any government that is coming that will not show enormous concern for the workers should be ready to face the wrath of the workers. We are only keeping silent because we want this government to leave in peace so that nobody will accuse the labour union of sabotaging the government to achieve their plans to stop the conduct of elections,” he said.

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