Arisekola Urges Govt to Address Socio-economic Challenges, Wants Labour to Consider Cost of Strike

By Vanessa Obioha 

As the planned protests by labour unions over fuel subsidy removal draw near, the President of AMPON and publisher of The Street Journal, has called on organised labour to consider the impact of work disruptions on private sector employers after COVID-19 and the naira redesign policy. Arisekola emphasized the need for negotiations with the government instead of a strike.

“Labour Unions proposed strike will just make life more difficult for Nigerians,” he said during a meeting with journalists.

Arisekola stressed the importance of addressing socio-economic challenges and making necessary amends while urging politicians to be circumspect and focus on policies that benefit the masses.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with how some public and civil servants are handling sensitive matters, negatively affecting President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

 “This government has to be careful, the politicians are not helping the president at all with their selfishness, childish and incendiary statements in public. It is unfortunate that the country has come to this level that some defeated politicians and frustrated subsidy thieves are inciting people against the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kassim Shettima.”

Arisekola expressed confidence in the government’s intention to improve Nigeria’s fortunes and hopes but advised against tolerating individuals not aligned with the government’s principles and ideologies for socio-economic growth and development.

Acknowledging the difficulties of governance, he called for understanding from the public and emphasized the need for immediate relief for Nigerians who have been suffering.

“If this government must stave off industrial action by the organised labour and angry Nigerians, they must find a way to calm the anger and frustration in the country exacerbated by power cuts, and an atmosphere of general discontent. It is painful to bear the burden of a problem one did not cause. The vast majority of Nigerians are nursing the wounds of plunder and sustained financial exploitation that was visited on them. The masses of our people have for years lived on pittance and wages they barely subsist on,” he stated.