Labour Leaders Must Protect Workers Against FG’s Anti-People Policies – Fayose

By Lere Olayinka
Click for Full Image Size

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose 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 Mohammadu 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.”