Labour leaders urge el-Rufai, Sani to sheath swords

The Vice President of Industrial Global Union Comrade Issa Aremu has called on the Senator representing Kaduna Central senatorial zone, Shehu Sani and Governor Nasir el-Rufai to forget their political differences and work together for the benefit of Kaduna State and the country.

Aremu, and member of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Executive Council (NEC) made the call Sani visited the Textile Labour House, in Kaduna yesterday.Comrade Aremu who is also the General Secretary of the textile workers’ union, pointed out that the unending open exchange of words between the senator and the governor would not help matters.

He said: “It diverts attention from the critical challenge of the development of Kaduna State”.Specifically, he cited the example of the Zaria Industries Limited that produces tarpaulin which rather than being patronized by government for military outfits, government prefers to buy from China and India.

In his remark, the President of the Textile Union, Comrade John Adaji while welcoming Sani acknowledged the warm friendship between him and the union even before he was elected senator.

He commended him for his activism in the Senate on critical issues of national development and called for his intervention for the revival of textile industry.In his response, Sani stated that his visit to Textile Labour House was a home coming, just as he reflected on his long standing relationship with the union.

On the nation’s economy, Sani observed that when the country had enough resources, it did not pay attention to textile and the manufacturing sector, adding that economic diversification should not be on rice alone but also on the manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile, the Youth wing of Kaduna State All Progressive Congress (APC) yesterday condemned an open memo against el-Rufai by the Chairman of the party caucus, Alhaji Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan accusing the governor of highhandedness and deeming the fortune of the party in the coming 2019 general elections.

Ramalan, who is also owner of a Kaduna based Radio Station had in a memo dated March 20, 2017, and titled: “Open Memo to Governor el-Rufai on Governance and the Repositioning of APC in Kaduna State.He had accused el-Rufai of using and dumping most of the party stakeholders, thereby making APC docile in the state.