FUEL SUBSIDY: DON’T GO ON STRIKE, TINUBU MEANS WELL, SANWO-OLU TELLS NLC, NIGERIANS

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) not to embark on its proposed nationwide strike on fuel subsidy removal slated for Wednesday, saying President Bola Tinubu means well for the country’s economy.

The Governor, who implored labour leaders to exercise patience on its proposed planned strike, urged the Labour leaders not to be political over the issue of the removal of fuel subsidy. 

He said the subsidy removal is in the interest of all Nigerians, urging them to support President Bola Tinubu to run the affairs of the country creditably.

Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke on Sunday while speaking to journalists after the Post-inauguration Church Thanksgiving Service held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina in Lagos. 

The Governor urged 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.

He said: “We are thankful that Mr President is a product of Lagos. We will pray for him and everything that he stands for. We believe he will replicate all the good things he has done in Lagos in our country, Nigeria.

“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. He (President Tinubu) has not even done a week. So let us talk to ourselves and say that we shouldn’t turn it political. Let us wait and support this man. He had not done a week on the job. 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. He has mentioned something about a better wage. We have started that in Lagos. We started it in January; so other parts of the country can also do the same. We don’t need to wait for the national government. We just need to reflect on what the challenges are in our country and let us solve the problem.”

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 the Nigeria Labour Congress. It shouldn’t turn 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. There is no need for us to begin to get political; it is governance now and people just want to see purposeful governance. 

“So let the President settle to do the job and he has said to us he is going to put in place a team that will take the country out of poverty and that is what we are praying for.”

Gboyega Akosile 

Media Adviser to the Governor 

4th June, 2023