Governor Sanwo-Olu has asked NLC to suspend the proposed strike over fuel subsidy removal.
NewsOnline reports that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its planned strike in protest against the fuel subsidy removal, saying that “This is not the time to go on strike.”
This online newspaper understands that Governor Sanwo-Olu made the appeal on Sunday after a post-inauguration thanksgiving service at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, to mark the end of activities organised for the governor’s second term inauguration.
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Sanwo-Olu was accompanied by his wife, Dr. Ibijoke, Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat and wife, Oluremi Hamzat.
Stressing that embarking on strike will neither address nor resolve any issue, Góvernór Sanwo-Olu said: “This is not the time to go on strike. Recall that all presidential candidates said the first thing they will do is remove fuel subsidies. So what has changed?
“What has President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said or done that is different from what others would have done? The President has not even spent one week in office. We need to be very patient and reason together. Let us not make the issue about politics, but let’s support this man. We should allow him go and reflect.
“Strike will not resolve anything; it won’t address the issue.The point should be how to ensure a sustained turnaround in our economy. The President mentioned better ways, and we started that in Lagos in January, and I hope other states can key into it. We don’t need to wait for the national government, we just need to reflect on what the challenges are in the country and seek ways to resolve them.
“So I plead with the NLC to not turn the subsidy issue into a political one. The leadership should know they are leading people and so, there is a need to restrain themselves. Let us be patient and work with the President. NNPC has said it has more than enough fuel to go round. So, there is no need to heat up the polity. We should not get political because it is governance, and the people must see purposeful governance.”
On the import of the thanksgiving service, Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that it was important to acknowledge God’s help to individuals, state and the country as a while, and commit the second term into God’s hand.
According to him: “It is important to thank God Almighty and to acknowledge His help to all of us, as individuals, as a state, as a nation, and to also commit our second tenure to Him, to ask Him for direction and to place everything in His front.
“Lagosians should also expect a lot more from us. We have promised a human-centric THEMES PLUS Agenda, which will ensure that no one is left behind. We want to build a better inclusive sense of governance where we will be doing a lot of hard and soft infrastructure, things that will touch the people’s lives, specifically palliatives that would bring succor and relief to our residents in their difficult times, especially with the global economic issues.
“The people also need to understand that though the government cannot do everything, we need to be able to bring them out of poverty and speak to what their needs and yearnings are. So it’s a purposeful human-centric agenda that will ensure that no one is left behind. And we are holding ourselves accountable to that.”
Provost of the Cathedral, Rev. Adebola Ojofeitimi, who delivered a sermon on ‘Unity: Catalyst for Godly Possibilities’, urged the people to remain united so that things can work effectively.
“We are wired to be united for efficiency,” he said.
Thanksgiving prayers were led by State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Stephen Adegbite.
Other dignitaries at the thanksgiving service included state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, APC Women Leader, Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, former members of the State Executive Council, Body of Permanent Secretaries, Oba of Lagos Rilwan Akiolu, represented by the White Cap Chiefs, African Church Archbishop from Abuja Peter Ogunmuyiwa, among others.
