The Federal Government of Nigeria has pleaded with the organized labour in the country to allow it enough time to address the various Challenges of workers.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in a chat with newsmen today, September 20, shortly an audience with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential villa, Abuja, said that it is not in the interest of the workers and not in the interest of anybody for the labour unions to go on strike.
“This government is very determined to ensure that the standard of living of Nigerians is high and to create prosperity for all. It’s not something that can be done overnight.
“This government came into being on the 29th of May and we have a tenure of four years. So it will be inappropriate to begin to judge us on the basis of few months we have spent in the office.”
He described the labour leaders as being “very patriotic Nigerians” and we want to believe correctly that nobody will want to cause a strike.”
This was even as the minister of labour, Simon Lalong told newsmen, after an audience with Vice President Shettima that the government is in discussion with the labour leaders towards advertising strike action scheduled to begin tomorrow, September 21.
Lalong expressed confidence that there is problem after the meeting with the labour leaders.
“We have fully spent time with the Nigerian labour and posture of the President too is towards welfare and prosperity for workers.
“We have no doubt and that’s why many of the meetings we have with them we are not ending up boxing ourselves, we smile all.
“We hope that the best is going to come.
“We don’t have any fears about some of the things they put and also the suggestions and the package of the federal government.”
