Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has pleaded with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to avoid turning its planned nationwide strike over the removal of petrol subsidy into a political device as it has begun to seem.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said this on Sunday, while speaking to journalists after his post-inauguration church thanksgiving service, which was held at the Cathedral Church of Christ at Marina, Lagos.
The Governor, who pleaded with labour leaders to exercise patience on its planned strike, urged them not to be political over the issue of the removal of fuel subsidy as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well for the country’s economy, adding that the removal is in the interest of all Nigerians.
Sanwo-Olu encouraged the labour leaders to join hands with the present administration at the federal level and be patient with the President in his commitment to turn the economy around and make Nigeria a better place for all.
In his own words, “I want to wish and plead with our citizens even as NLC has said to us that they want to go on strike. It is not the time for a strike.
“During the campaign trail, every one of our presidential candidates did say that the first thing they are going to do is to remove the subsidy. So, what has changed? What has the current president said or what has he done that is different from what any of the other aspirants said they would do?
“We need to be very patient. President Tinubu has not even been in office for up to a week. So let us talk to ourselves and let us not turn it political. Let us wait and support this man.
“Let him go and reflect and at the sub-national level, we are willing to support him. The point is no industrial strike will solve anything at this point, it will certainly not bring an end to the issue. The point will be how are we going to ensure that there is a turnaround in our economy.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu also appealed to Nigerians and the leadership of the NLC in particular, to support President Tinubu in his quest to deliver purposeful governance to the citizens.
“I want to plead with NLC. It should not turn this strike into a political thing because we have begun to see that. The leadership should know that they are leading a pack of people and they need to restrain themselves.
“Let us be patient. Let us work around it. NNPC has said that there is more than enough petrol. So there is no need for us to begin to heat up the polity,” he added.
