Minimum Wage: Buhari Begs Labour To Shelve Planned Strike.

…says labour should consider the rot he inherited

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday appealed to the leadership
of the Nigeria Labour Congress to consider the rot his
administration inherited.

Buhari made the appeal when he received members of the
Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria led by
Ambassador Oladapo Fafowora at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The appeal came barely 24 hours to the commencement of the
indefinite industrial action called by labour unions to press for a
new national minimum wage.

Buhari said the workers needed to show more understanding
especially with the more infrastructure his administration was
putting in place with fewer resources.

“President Buhari also appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress
to consider what this government inherited and the more it is doing
with fewer resources in putting the economy right,” a statement
issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi
Adesina, read.

Buhari reassured Nigerians that his administration will sustain
massive investments to upgrade and develop the country’s transport
and power infrastructure.

The President told the retired Ambassadors that Nigerians will
never forget the ‘‘lost opportunity between 1999 and 2015,’’ when
the nation had huge resources at its disposal.

He said, ”There is no part of the country I haven’t been to,
having attempted to be President four times.

”I know the condition of our roads. The rails were literally
killed, there was no power despite the admittance of some previous
leadership that they spent $16bn on the sector.

”Today, we are getting our priorities right and we believe that
of the three fundamental issues we campaigned on – security, the
economy and fighting corruption-, we have remained very relevant
and Nigerians believe we have achieved something.”

Buhari also appreciated the People’s Republic of China for
financing some of the rail and power projects in the country
through concessionary loans.

”I will do my best to see that where there are possibilities of
making a quick improvement on infrastructure, we will do it,” he
said.

The President took note of some concerns raised by the retired
Ambassadors including an appeal for the adjustment of their pension
entitlements, retention of diplomatic passport for retired career
ambassadors, allocation of land for ARCAN headquarters in Abuja and
adequate funding of the Foreign Affairs ministry, among others.