The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged the organised labour in Nigeria to shelve its strike action, which commenced on Monday across the country, saying that they should not be tired of negotiating with the government in the interest of the country.
Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar made the call in a statement by his media team, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, saying that the Labour leaders should consider the overbearing effects of the strike action they planned to embark upon in the interest of the wellbeing of the same Nigerians, whose interests they were fighting to protect, and, therefore, shelve the industrial action.
According to the foremost monarch, organised labour should not at any time be tired of negotiating with the government, urging them not to take the nation through another leg of hardship.
The Sultan argued that exactly that was what would happen if they made good on their plan to go on this strike, saying that “they should try to listen to the government while the government should listen to them, and both parties should arrive at a conclusion that will be beneficial to all Nigerians, including the working class.”
“The Labour leaders should consider the overbearing effects of the strike action they plan to embark upon on the wellbeing of the same Nigerians, whose interests they are fighting to protect, and therefore shelve the industrial action.
“We appeal to Labour not to take the nation through another leg of hardship because that exactly is what will happen if they make good on their plan to go on this strike. They should try to listen to the government while the government should listen to them, and both parties should arrive at a conclusion that will be beneficial to all Nigerians, including the working class,” the Sultan appealed.
Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar said he was aware of the fact that the Labour leaders were doing what is right, making a case for better welfare for their class of fellow workers, having been personally involved in such negotiations between the Labour and government in the past, but quickly urged that they should do it in a way that would not plunge the nation into further hardship and difficult situations.
“You are doing what is right for your class of fellow workers, but you should do it within the ambit of compassion and see strikes always as the last option,” the Sultan said.
