Former presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Chekwas Okorie has described the weekend broadcast of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as one meant to placate agitated Nigerians.
Speaking with Nigerian Tribune in a telephone interview, the APGA chieftain said President Tinubu sounded reconciliatory and appealed to the organised Labour unions to halt their proposed strike.
Reacting to the claim that there was no commitment in the speech to assuage the aggrieved workers union, Okorie recalled that Tinubu had made a commitment to job creation, and security amongst others in his previous broadcast to the nation.
He said:” Well, he addressed the nation like a father, aware of the pains they are going through. The speech was conciliatory and persuasive. He didn’t reel out figures or make tall promises that he wouldn’t be able to meet immediately and people would now use that to be criticising him.
“The truth is that he had made promises before on job creation, insecurity and blockage of leakages in government revenue. He has said all that before.
“I listened to him mention additional salary for people on the lowest rung of the ladder.
“I expect Labour to halt their scheduled strike They should not heat up the polity by instigating anarchy. When Labour asked Nigerians to stockpile food items and stay indoors for an indefinite strike, are they aware that over 70% of Nigerians aren’t civil servants? Where is the money to even stockpile foodstuffs? I urge the Labour to wear the cap of reasoning.”
In his own contribution, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ayodele Arise who spoke in the same vein, however, noted that President Tinubu should do proper monitoring of his policies meant to mitigate the sufferings of the people.
He also raised concern over the failure or indifference of certain federal agencies to honour the financial obligations of the immediate past administration to Nigerians in the private sector.
He said:” I think he is providing leadership, whether his efforts are getting to the expected population is another issue.
“But his administration is responding to the feelings and yearnings of the people and I believe he is addressing the challenges. Of course, the effect of the subsidy removal is biting hard but he seems to be determined to address it.
“Whether it is effective to douse the anger and pains of Nigerians is what I cannot properly address. But by and large, he understands what people are going through.
“I must also say that there are some problems that small business owners are facing which his administration should address very quickly. Some of the federal agencies are owing partners and these partners are facing bankruptcy as they haven’t been paid for jobs done.
“When the government is owing billions of naira and they aren’t paid, a lot of businesses are packing up. It isn’t good to show the commitment of N25K,000 additional salary when businesses that should help sustain the economy are packing up.”
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