NATIONAL Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday turned ambassador of peace as he led a powerful delegation of APC chieftains to the Labour House, Headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja where he appealed to the leadership of the Congress to call off the on-going strike over the hike in the pump price of fuel from N86 and N86.50k to N145.The former governor of Lagos State begged the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and other labour leaders to return to the negotiation table with the Federal Government to reconcile the present industrial dispute.
In company with Governor Rauf Aregbsola of Osun State, Senators Sulaiman Hunkunyi (Kaduna North), Kabir Marafa (Zamfara Central) and many others, Tinubu stated that his mission was to broker truce.
“I have come to appeal to you to suspend the action you have embarked upon and return to the negotiating table”, he said.
He told labour that it would be unwise for it to destroy the house it built.
“Labour made APC victory possible. Let us continue to collaborate. We built this bridge together. This President is genuine. This decision was the only one left. Buhari has integrity and a character that is reliable”, Tinubu said.
He added that: “I can swear that Buhari will not misappropriate the funds saved from the removal of subsidy. The APC is also committed to this. My mission here is for peace. My mission is to return to the negotiating table. This government is sincere.”
According to Tinubu, he was party to the deregulation policy when it became obvious to him that the subsidy payment to few oil marketers was actually of no benefit to majority of Nigerians.
He said Nigerians can count on the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver on the promises he made during the electioneering campaigns.
NLC President, Wabba in his response, said the appeal will be tabled before the National Executive Council (NEC) of NLC where they would consider whether to negotiate with government or not.
He said labour leaders were not averse to negotiations but that parties to the negotiations must come to the negotiating table with equity.
Notable labour leaders present include Deputy Vice Presidents of NLC, Mr. Peter Adeyemi Nojeem Yarsin and Comrade Isah Aremu and Chairman of the Labour and Civil Society Coalition, Dr. Dipo Fashina.
Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara had also appealed to NLC to sheath its sword.
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