Community leader appeals to government, NLC to reconcile differences

Head of Nupe community in Nasarawa state, Chief Baba Bello, has called for truce between the state government and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the interest of the state.

He said that both parties should bury the hatchet and urged leadership of the workers to end the two-month old strike in the state action.

Bello, who is Sarki Nupe of Nasarawa state, made the call on Sunday while addressing newsmen in Lafia. According to him, the strike which has lasted for two months now has brought untold hardship to the people of the state and also brought setback to the economic fortunes of the state.

“The poor masses in the state are finding things more difficult due to the strike and life has not been easy for them in the last two months due to closure of all public primary and secondary schools, and public hospitals.

“The masses that are already facing difficult times due to the general economic situation in the country cannot also have access to public schools and hospitals because of the strike.

“No primary school pupil in the state this year sat for the common entrance examination due to the strike by the teachers and other civil servants,” he said.

According to Bello, public hospitals which were also helping the poor masses and their families were also shut down, all because of strike.

He appealed to NLC and government to urgently address their differences and end the impasse for the development of the state.

He also commended the state government for transforming Lafia, the capital, into modern city like other state capitals in the country “with traffic lights, road network and other facilities befitting of a state capital’’.

“The governor has built new schools, renovating and upgrading facilities in existing schools, constructed quality roads in all the local government areas, among others” Bello said.

He, therefore, called on workers to support the development effort of the state government in order to catch up with other states educationally and other wise.