***Urges Tinubu to personally meet with Labour leaders and assure them of the benefits of removing the subsidy
- Hails Tinubu’s Appointment of Gbajabiamila, Akume, Hadejia
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- FORMER Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South has pleaded with leadership of the organised labour, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to in the interest of Nigerians, jettison the planned strike that is expected to commence next Wednesday.
Ndume is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army pleaded with the leaders of NLC to resort to negotiation as a wsy of nipping in the bud, areas of misunderstanding between the body and the Federal Government before embarking on strike.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja by Ndume who is the Director-General of Godswill Akpabio for Senate President Campaign Organisation, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to personally meet with Labour leaders and assure them of the benefits of removing the subsidy.
He said, “This fuel subsidy removal is something we must do now or never,” he noted. “We need to open the wounds now and begin to heal them. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) needs to work with the government and see how the effects can be minimised. If we don’t remove the subsidy now, some people will continue to milk this country. NLC should go to the negotiation table with the Federal Government.”
“The NLC should not go on a strike first before negotiation. They should not make that mistake. Beside, there is no budget for subsidy. Where will the money come from?
“I call on President Tinubu to personally meet with Labour leaders and resolve the issues. He should also assure them that things will be all right.”
Also Senator Ndume has said thatwith the appointment of Senator George Akume, agitation by leaders from the North Central Zone about the non-inclusion of the region in the appropriation of 10th National Assembly leadership positions, would rest.
Ndume who noted that President Tinubu has demonstrated that his campaign mantra “Renewed Hope”, has come to stay, said that all the appointees so far announced by President Tinubu are Senators and a Speaker of the House of Representatives, adding that the administration of President Tinubu would be rancor-free, especially from the perspective of its relationship with the National Assembly, unlike previous administrations that undermined the Nigeria Parliament.
Ndume said: “I want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for keeping to his campaign mantra, ‘Renewed Hope’. This is the first time politicians are appointed by a President to head key positions in government. This will be a rancor-free administration. All the appointees so far are grassroots politicians.
“George Akume was a governor, minister, a senator and now the Secretary to Government of the Federation. President Tinubu is a Senator. Kashim Shettima is a senator. The First Lady is a senator. Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff to the President is a veteran parliamentarian. Even the Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, is a senator too.
“It means there won’t be any reason to have any rancor with the National Assembly. The Executive will be run by former members of the National Assembly, unlike previous governments run by so called technocrats who brought in consultants to steal our money. This is truly democracy at work.
“This has now settled the agitation by stakeholders from North Central. They’ve gotten the lion’s share now. Akume’s appointment has put everything to rest. He will become one of the most powerful people in government.”
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