Ifeanyi Ibeh
The member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State in the House of Representative, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, has said the efforts of Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen to help resolve the ongoing strike by Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) as a commendable public interest move.
Ugochinyere in a statement noted that Abbas, alongside the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, jettisoned other engagements on Sunday, which was not a workday, to meet with the organised labour and the Federal Government to avert the strike.
The Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) also said that the commitment, passion and importance Abbas attached to the resolution of the labour dispute to forestall a strike, which he said is detrimental to the economy and general polity, made him to shelve his two-day official assignment in Lagos State to lead several principal officers and members of the National Assembly to the emergency meeting at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Sunday.
He said the passion in the Speaker’s voice when he addressed Labour at the comment of the meeting conveyed a strong feeling of patriotism for one’s country though the unions proceeded with the strike.
He therefore urged FG and labour to quickly resolve issues in the interest of the people.
Speaker Abbas had said: “We are on the side of the government, and we are on the side of the people. That is why we call ourselves ‘The People’s Parliament.’ Whatever affects the common man affects us, too.
“I am sure someone would recall what I said during the independence anniversary lecture, that one thing that this government and this country can do to eliminate corruption in the long-run is to embrace a ‘living wage.’ There are no two ways about it. But we should also be mindful that the issues of numerous decades cannot be repaired within one day. It will be a gradual process.
“We have to start (from) somewhere and then agree to a plan of what we can do to reach that level where every Nigerian worker can beat their chest and say ‘I am earning enough to put food on the table; enough to take care of my basics.
“So, my take-home for all of us here is to say thank you to the organised labour for even accepting to come to this National Assembly; to give Nigerians and the government the hope that all is not lost; that we can be able to continue interacting, and we can continue to dialogue on this critical subject.”
