Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has urged labour leaders in the
country to protect the interests of Nigerians, especially their members
against government’s anti-people policies, saying; “Labour leaders must
not allow the welfare of the people to be compromised.”
Governor Fayose, who was speaking against the backdrop of the plan by the
federal government to increase petrol pump price from N87 to N97 per
litre, remove fuel subsidy, increase electricity tariffs, retrench
thousands of workers, reduce N18, 000 minimum wage, introduce toll gate,
among others, said, “If labour leaders do not stand up for the people at
this time as they have done in the past, posterity will not forgive them.”
In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday by his Special Assistant on
Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said
he was particularly worried over the silence of labour leaders on the two
months fuel scarcity in the country, which the federal government appeared
not to have any ready solution to.
The governor, who reminded the labour leaders of how they led their
members to protest when fuel price was increased by the Dr Goodluck
Jonathan administration in 2012, added that, “No matter the political
party in government, labours unions must stand by their members in
particular and the people in general.”
He said: “When they were seeking for votes from Nigerians, they promised
to reduce petrol pump price to from N87 to N45 per litre, they promised to
create three million jobs per year, they said $1 will be equal to N1 and
above all, they promised to pay unemployed youths N5,000 stipend and
provide one meal a day to pupils nationwide.
“However, thousands of Nigerians have lost their jobs in the last six
months, while millions of jobs are to be lost next year, particularly in
the construction sector and banking sector where mergers and acquisitions
of banks have become imminent.
“Even the federal government that promised three million employments per
year is already sacking workers with over 2,000 university workers
retrenched.
“Most importantly, President Muhammadu Buhari himself is telling Nigerians
to prepare for hardships in year 2016, with no effort being made by the
federal government to mitigate the effects of the impending hardships.
“The labour movement must therefore be prepared to stand up for the
people, making sure that the welfare of the workers is not compromised by
the government.”
While maintaining that democracy was being threatened under the APC
government of President Buhari, Governor Fayose said “a lot of
infringements are being done to our democratic process and all lovers of
democracy must be worried, especially about the inconclusive elections
held under the present government.”