National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Funmi Ojo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reassured Nigerian workers of his unwavering support during his leadership tenure amidst calls for a new national minimum wage.
In a national address marking Nigeria’s 25th year of uninterrupted democracy, President Tinubu pledged to present an executive bill to the National Assembly, reflecting the agreed-upon minimum wage by the tripartite committee.
He stated the necessity of ongoing economic reforms, acknowledging the hardships but stressing their importance in building a stronger foundation for future growth and fair compensation for workers.
“The reforms we have initiated are intended to create a stronger, better foundation for future growth. There is no doubt the reforms have occasioned hardship.
“Yet, they are necessary repairs required to fix the economy over the long run so that everyone has access to economic opportunity, fair pay, and compensation for his endeavour and labour.
“As we continue to reform the economy, I shall always listen to the people and will never turn my back on you,” Tinubu stated.
“In this spirit, we have negotiated in good faith and with open arms with organised labour on a new national minimum wage.
Noting that “We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less.
“In the face of labour’s call for a national strike, we did not seek to oppress or crack down on the workers as a dictatorial government would have done.
“We chose the path of cooperation over conflict. No one was arrested or threatened. Instead, the labour leadership was invited to break bread and negotiate toward a good-faith resolution.
“Reasoned discussion and principled compromise are hallmarks of democracy. These themes shall continue to animate my policies and interaction with the constituent parts of our political economy”, he said.
“I take on this vital task without fear or favour and I commit myself to this work until we have built a Nigeria where no man is oppressed. In the end, our national greatness will not be achieved by traveling the easy road. It can only be achieved by taking the right one.
“The words of the American President Franklin Roosevelt certainly ring true: ‘There are many ways of going forward. But only one way of standing still.’ We dare not slumber lest the good things awaiting our immediate future pass us by. We dare not plant our feet in idle standstill in the middle of the intersection of hope and despair.
“We know the proper way forward and we shall take it! The initial rays of a brighter tomorrow now appear on the early horizon. An abundant future and our capacity to achieve that future lie within our reach. Democracy and the institutions it begets offer to take us to our profound destination.
“Let us board this progressive train together. Together, let us move Nigeria forward. Let’s continue to keep the fire of democracy burning. Let’s keep the torch lit for generations to come,” he added
