Lamidi Apapa LP Faction Hails Tinubu’s Handling of NLC Protest

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s friendly approach that caused organised Labor to call off its nationwide protest last week.

The group stated this in a statement signed by the factional National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi and made available to newsmen yesterday.

Arabambi, said it was for them at the Labour Party to go beyond the divide of partisanship and mere politics, adding that Tinubu recently released economic blueprint that touched on the fundamentals of nation-building that had eluded the country for decades.

He explained that out of the 41-paragraph speech, 15 of the paragraphs was not in any way, at a loss to them at their faction of the National Working Committee of LP.

He pointed out specifically, paragraphs 15 to 30 which he said addressed the concerns of, “all Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the removal of the fuel subsidy, albeit temporarily and the unified exchange rate.”

He said: “To do this, the President left Nigerian with some symphonic puzzle, a little addition and multiplication which is progressive and align with the Labour Party welfare and vision for national policy.

“The President said the manufacturing sector would be further empowered to deliver goods and services to the country with expansive view and to this end, N75 billion would be deployed to that sector between now and March next year, this is an 11-month timeline for implementation, assessment and results, from which a review would be done.

“More rewarding and labour-friendly approach is the loan at a single digit interest rate of nine per cent per annum. In spite of this, the policy extends repayment period to 60 months. Do the maths, it translates to about five years.

“That is a labour and productive friendly policy and programme that the LP cannot fight because of mere politics but support as our own labour members in the public and private sector are direct beneficiaries of this well laid out plan.”