The APC Professional Forum has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other unions to trust President Bola Tinubu and the process regarding his promises as a result of fuel subsidy removal.
The forum specifically assured that Tinubu will fulfil his promise to increase the national minimum wage.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday in Abuja, Chairman, Board of Trustee of the APC Professional Forum and the former governor of Bauchi state, Mallam Isa Yuguda, also commended the labour unions for heeding the voice of reason by returning to the negotiation table after an initial reluctance, and later by agreeing to suspend the planned nationwide strike.
Yuguda said: “From all indications, promises were made by the government side led by Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila including what is likely to pave way for a new national minimum wage, palliatives and a framework for the completion of the ongoing overhaul of the nation’s refineries.
“Our message to Organised Labour is for them to trust the man Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to trust the process.
“President Tinubu is a promise keeper. He will keep his vow to review workers’ salaries which he first hinted at even before his team went into talks with Labour over fuel subsidy removal.
“We have an administration in place led by a pro-people President that will keep to the terms of his Renewed Hope agenda so NLC and TUC as well as the good people of Nigeria have no reason to doubt that the agreements will be kept.
“We also saw how, without much ado, the President resolved a health workers’ strike which began few days to his inauguration on May 25, by holding direct talks with the leadership of the Joint Health Sectors Union (JOHESU) on the same day talks were held to resolve issues surrounding fuel subsidy.
“We dare say that all these should provide clear insight into the hands-on approach that President Tinubu is bringing into governance at the centre.”
The forum urged Nigerians to “exercise patience and support the President even in the face of the initial discomfort that the removal of fuel subsidy will bring before it tapers off in the not-too-distant future.
“We also want to draw attention to the government’s resolve to implement palliative measures to cushion the effect of the policy on the citizens, especially the poor and low income earners.”
