The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, on Saturday, appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress and its Trade Union Congress counterpart to shelve the planned strike and explore ways of resolving the vexatious issues.
The organized labour had said it would embark on a nationwide strike scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 3.
The PUNCH had reported that the labour union after it met with the Federal Government which ended in a deadlock, called the members to embark on a nationwide strike next week.
Olubadan, in his 63rd Independence Day Anniversary statement by his assistant on media, Oladele Ogunsola, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, further .
He said, “I want to plead with the workers’ unions and urge the government not to overstretch the people. There must be tangible measures to reassure the people that the renewed hope agenda is truly for real.
“I plead for dialogue between the labour and government. There should be openness and understanding, bearing in mind that where two elephants fight, it is the grass there that suffers. Let’s be mindful of the effect of total paralysis on our battered economy. Consider the sick, consider the students from our nursery school to the university among several others that would bear the brunt. The loss is simply incalculable.
“I want our labour leaders to cast their minds back to the last prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the effect on our students. How do we compensate for the loss of a whole academic session in the lives of the affected students? Such loss is eternal because it is not possible to wind back the hand of the clock. That’s just an example.” The monarch pleaded.
“The President, Bola Tinubu, is a man of his word and there is no reason to doubt his ability and capability to deliver on his campaign promises. Let’s give him more time and equally assist him with prayers. Very soon, I strongly believe we would be seeing the glimpses of the renewed hope promised Nigerians before the election.” Olubadan promised.
