A political pressure group, African Network for Peace Progress and Development has advised the Federal Government to create a group which would include traditional rulers, civil society groups and some labour leaders to find solution to food crisis or other conflicts in Nigeria
The group, in a statement on Thursday, by its National President, Elias Odemena, berated the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for always threatening nationwide strikes to resolve national issues.
He, however, pledged to volunteer a list to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that would in times of exigencies meet to resolve issues affecting the citizens, instead of the use of strikes.
Before the resolution of the face-off between the Federal government and the NLC, the threat of a nationwide strike had sent shivers down the spine of some Nigerians over the contentious minimum wage.
Recall that the NLC had threatened to shut down the country for one month in protest against plans by the National Assembly to deregulate the national minimum wage.
But the African Network for Peace Progress and Development (ANPPD), had pleaded with the NLC not to resort to industrial action whenever there was a disagreement between the government and the NLC.
ANPPD, in a statement, urged NLC to always resort alternative dispute resolution with the federal government.
He called on the NLC to always remember the millions of Nigerians who were not in the payroll of the government who would suffer from the action.
Odoemena argued that the problem of the Nigerian workers was beyond the minimum wage, but finding the enabling environment and solution on how they will spend their monies wisely.
He suggested that the NLC should discuss with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Vice President Kashim Shettima, on how to reduce the electricity bill and petroleum products, to enable Nigerians go about their businesses.
He reminisced on how lecturers went on strike for about one year and did not yield any fruit as it took the intervention of the then Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who single-handedly called off the strike and “our children returned to school after wasting one year at home.”
“Our traditional rulers, civil society, some labour officials can always sit down and find solution to our problems.”