……. Advice Nigeria’s to returns back to Farm
…….. says that minimum wage will not solve Nigeria problems
By Fatima Saka
The Nigeria legislators Monday have frowned over the nationwide strike incurred by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), saying it is an obstruction to the Nation’s Economy.
Senator Emmanuel Udende, representing Benue North-East senatorial district, and Senator Agadaga, Benson representing Bayelsa East senatorial district, disclosed this to journalists during an interactive session in Abuja.
Senator Emmanuel Udende lamented that the country has lost so much in just a day strike, adding that most businesses depend on energy and that they have put off the energy that is supplied to more companies.
“And there’s so much lost. People are stuck in Lagos, they say they can’t come to Nigeria because of the strike. So there are always the two parties to reach an amicable agreement.
Speaking of the suspension of the strike, Senator Emmanuel Udende commended the unions for stepping in the right direction. “ Within five days or whatever they have given, I think they should be able to reach an agreement. I pray that they reach an agreement.
On the intervention of National Assembly Leadership being ignored by the unions, representing Benue North-East senatorial district expressed that the legislative are concerned about the whole process, “it is when the executive reviews the last minimum wage bill and then that is where we are concerned.”
Speaking on NLC and TUC, suspending the strike, senator Agadaga, Benson representing Bayelsa East senatorial district commended the unions and added that It’s better to go, talk, discuss than to war. “So I appreciate Labour and TUC for understanding the dynamics of the period because when you do things to the extreme, they will destroy a lot of things.”
The Senator stressed that this one day strike in Nigeria is destructive, and added that people were coming from outside for business in Nigeria. They have to turn back. “I understand those who came to lift the pilgrims, Muslim pilgrims, they have to go back, and people who have stopped from writing the exams.
“A lot of businesses have gone back. Those who are supposed to fly could not fly. So it’s destructive to go to that extent. But they have now had an understanding, and they have decided to call back.
The Senator representing Bayelsa East senatorial district further reiterated that suspending strike for five days will be resolved.
He added if the government doesn’t build roads, build hospitals, “we are still in trouble. So if you go and pay, carry all the money and pay to go, maybe there are 20 percent of the total population. What of the rest? What do we do for them?
“The businessmen are there, the farmers are there, the cattle areas are there, they’re not working so they have to shift ground all of us are going to the same market they are brothers they are sisters they are sons and daughters so we sympathize with them just like we all of us are affected by this at the house in one way or the other you are affected so we also want everything into our pockets but putting all the money in our pockets will not solve the problem because if you put even if they give you one one million as your minimum wage today and if that one million i cannot buy what you want it’s a waste of time.
“The major thing for Nigeria is to invest into the productive sector, this will give us foreign earnings and the dollar will come down. This administration was handed over the former division with 200 naira per dollar and things were not as costly as they actually do, if Nigerians have to go into the project to the productive end and then produce things.
“We are supporting our narrows because things will be strengthened and the cost of things will not be like this, so if there’s high cost of living there’s inflation and giving the civil servants one million, it will not work so it’s for all of us to go back to the farms.
“Whatever you are, go back to the farm and make sure that we don’t buy food from outside. Let’s produce at least our own food to eat so that that one too will also save the drift of the dollar and the drift of the naira compared with the dollar at the end of the night. And things will be better for us.”
