The Youth Bureau and the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations have urged organised labour to shelve their latest strike threat.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government on Thursday to fulfil the 16-point agreement with the workers since October 2023.
The group said the proposed strike action will do more damage than good to the economy and the health of the Nigerian people the Labour Union is fighting for.
This was made known at a town hall meeting organised by the Youth Bureau (TYB) in conjunction with the Coalitions of Civil Society and Socio-Economic Stakeholders in Lagos on Tuesday.
Speaking on the objectives of the town hall meeting, the convener, Comrade Razak Olokoba, said it is aimed at objectively examining the state of the country in an atmosphere devoid of rancour and with a mindset free from political, ethnic, sectional, and religious biases.
According to him, Nigeria, like other countries in the world, is faced with severe economic challenges that call for concerted efforts to fathom what needs to be done to mitigate the challenging times.
He said, “We are concerned about the vulnerability of our people due to the hard times, but we are not also unconscious of the fact that some interests have no other business but to play politics with our economic plight and lives for reasons other than national interest are on the prowl to take advantage of the situation.
We also want to use this occasion to call on organised labour to shelve their threat of strike action, as this will do more harm than good to the health of the Nigerian people and the economy that they are fighting for.
While we do not begrudge them for exercising their right to strike, which is unlawful and a last resort under the industrial relations system, we charge them to rethink that weapon of struggle that has become monotonous to the ears of the average Nigerian, who now sees it as a blackmail tool that is not in their collective interest.
We must agree that ordinary Nigerians are more interested in more constructive, result-oriented engagements to ameliorate their economic condition and living standards.”
An activist, Comrade Alexta Wilcox, submits that nine months in the life of an administration is too short to right the wrong done to the economy.
To curb food insecurity and inflation, he called on state governments to invest hugely in agriculture and encourage farmers.
He said, “There is nothing wrong with the economy of the country, but Nigerians must rethink their attitude. Nine months is not enough to right the wrong done by the systems.
According to him, “it will take years to correct the problem created by corrupt elected officers and politicians in the country. I want us to start looking at our state, which is the weakest link in the system.
“Let us put emphasis on our states. We must call them to account because the manpower to be used to correct the challenges in the country belongs to the states.
“Until we begin to ask the right questions, we will continue to complain and continue with the challenges facing us.
“The land belongs to the state, but rather than encourage farming and investment in agriculture, they are concentrated on other things.”
An activist, Princess Abidemi Dosunmu, speaks on the challenges facing women in this economy.
She said, “The challenges women are facing in rural communities. 70 per cent of women in rural communities are farmers, and when they want to bring their produce to consumers, they go through a lot of stress because there is no access for them to get their goods to their target audience.
Who is challenging the transporters for the excessive tolling on our roads? On the employment situation, how many women are gainfully employed?
“Women are employed in their homes, yet their pay is low. The government should give us the opportunity not to stress ourselves over anything. They should make life conducive for women.
The President has never been a failure, but he needs people who are genuine and passionate to work with him to achieve his renewed hope agenda.”
Reacting, the Special Adviser, Civic Engagement, Dr. Tajudeen Afolabi, while reacting to various submissions at the meeting, said better days lie ahead for all residents in Lagos State.
According to him, the governor is concerned and is taking steps to address food insecurity in the state.
He said, “The governor is very concerned about the plight of Lagosians, especially on the issue of food security.
“This was exactly what we discussed at the state executive meeting. The governor has directed the distribution of food to the doorsteps of Lagosians. This will be done quarterly. We have food rolled out for the citizens of Lagos State.
“We are aware that the levies are too much for commuters. We are concerned about all these things, and we are meeting to address them. If levies are too high on commuters, the cost of farm produce will be too high.
“The governor is all attentive, and definitely, we will get everything discussed here today to him.”
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