Subsidy: APC chieftain says NLC planned strike selfish, unpatriotic

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A Chieftain of APC in Kwara State, Comrade Abdul-Rahoof Bello-Làbẹ́làbẹ́, has advised the Kwara State Labour Unions to disobey the unlawful directive by the NLC to embark on nationwide protest on Wednesday, against fuel subsidy removal.
Comrade Bello, said in a signed statement that such call to action was not only politically-motivated. It is subversive and smacks of attempt at frustrating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts on ending the ‘subsidy scam’ that has pushed Nigeria to the precipice of bankruptcy, he added.
He said,”President Bola Tinubu announced recently that his administration inherited ‘liabilities’ from President Buhari, which could have made it impossible for any ‘unprepared’ successor to move the nation forward, but never a hardliner like him who begged for the job and thus, deserved no pity!
“Was the NLC unaware that government had been borrowing to pay workers’ salaries and fuel subsidies? Isn’t it nasty that the NLC is pretending knowing that Nigeria has been groaning under accumulated debt burden? Isn’t it an open secret that Buhari administration left about #77trilion debt (local and foreign), which had to be serviced with about 96% of our dwindling national income?
“With this lurid and grim picture of our economy, President Tinubu was unmistakable in his inaugural speech that some ‘tough’ decisions on economic surgery have to be taken to save our beloved country from collapse now!
“Delay is dangerous, otherwise, workers; pensioners; education; healthcare; infrastructure; security and other developmental projects would suffer irreparable damage.
“Despite this, the NLC cannot see any plausible solution than calling out workers to the street instead of exploring the robust opportunity provided by President Bola Tinubu for negotiation and intellectual engagement.
“Isn’t it settled in Law that ‘strike action’ should be the last resort only when other options have failed? Therefore, calling out workers to the street by NLC/TUC while negotiating with the government, was not only hasty and cheap blackmail, but in bad faith.
“If the NLC cannot claim to be the sole beneficiary of whatever effects of the subsidy withdrawal, it would be irresponsible of the NLC to attempt to sacrifice the long-lasting national interest on the altar of cheap publicity and myopic political interest of its leadership!
According to Comrade Bello, a sense of duty dictates that people of good conscience make passionate appeal to Kwara State workers to disregard the call to strike action slated for Wednesday. This is necessary as a mark of respect to Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrasaq as Chairman Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
“In his capacity as NGF Chairman, Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrasaq has led his colleagues to a meeting with President Bola Tinubu where agreement was reached to review workers’ salaries, amongst other palliative measures to cushion the negative effects of subsidy withdrawal to the Nigerian people.
“The greatest honour the Kwara workers can do to the Governor was to ignore the ‘strike action’, to reciprocate his good rapprochement with the NLC in his State.
“Kwara NLC should understand that any protest or industrial action against fuel subsidy removal is an ill-wind that blows no worker any good – It is unpopular!” he said.