***Urges govs not to use party structure to share palliative
The senator representing Abia North at the National Assembly, and former governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, Thursday appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC not to embarking on its proposed strike as it will hurt the Nigeria economy so much.
Kalu said, “I am pleading with the NLC to see reason with the people of Nigeria, not even with the government. They are thinking that President Tinubu and his cabinet are the owners of Nigeria, no. Nigeria belong to all of us, including President Tinubu.
“The budget is coming and workers’ salaries would be reviewed. It is a question of few weeks or months. We will make sure that the Nigerian budget will be implemented and workers salaries will be looked into.
“President Tinubu is not going to manufacture money without appropriation to do anything and I am sure that within 6 to 8 weeks, the budget will be before the National Assembly. Workers should take it for granted that the President will work out the details of how to set up the emolument of all levels of workers”.
The ranking Senator further pleaded with the NLC, “for the sake of Nigerians who are eating as labourers, if there is a strike, they cannot eat. If there is unrest, they cannot not feed.
“I hope NLC will find reason and reconsider going on strike this week because, it is going to hurt the economy so much. Manufacturers, stocked exchange, truck pushers, everybody will be in a mess. During budget deliberation, we will make sure we consider what is good for all”.
He used the opportunity to also advise the 36 governors in the country not to use their party structure in distributing the federal government palliatives.
According to him, ” The palliative is not a party matter, it is for Nigerians. Please, do not share it through your party structure as we heard that many governors are sharing it through party structure. It is not the right thing to do”.
