President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday bluntly told the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to exercise decorum and wait till another election season – 2027, if it wants to participate in the nation’s electoral process.
President Tinubu also asked NLC to maintain peace in the best interest of the country.
He threw the jabs at the NLC while commissioning the Lagos Red Line rail, Thursday, February 29.
The Union has been without concealing it, antagonistic of the 9 – month old administration of Tinubu in manners many deemed as predating the inauguration of the government May 29, 2023.
But during his remarks in Lagos, he urged the Labour Union to understand that despite its acclaimed right and freedom, it cannot fight an administration that is barely nine-month-old.
The Daily Crucible reports that NLC and other related unions just suspended their protest action yesterday after they had protested nationwide on Tuesday over the high cost of living, inflation, insecurity, and hardship in the country.
The protesters had stormed the National Assembly where the NLC President Joe Ajaero, presented a letter of demands to President Bola Tinubu through the leadership of the National Assembly.
But reacting while in Lagos on Thursday, Tinubu said: “Allow me to throw a jab here. The Labour Union should understand that you’re not the only one with freedom & rights.
“Some labour unions should understand that no matter how we cling to our freedom and rights, to call four strikes within the first nine months of a new administration is unacceptable.
“The Labour has gone on strike four times within my nine months in government. That’s a record. However, they should join us to make Nigeria work as we are currently doing.
”If you want to directly participate in the electoral process, wait until 2027, if not, maintain the peace. Labour is not the only voice of Nigeria,” the President said.
The President further declared that: “There is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel. Nigeria will be out of the economic problem; we just need to persevere and work hard”.
Tinubu said the commissioning of the Red Line was the culmination of the vision he nursed 25 years ago when he was governor of the state, calling for more collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and other states to develop railway infrastructures across the country.
