Arewa Forum React As FG Negotiates With Organised Labour On Nationwide Strike

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has reacted and expressed its approval of the ongoing negotiations between the Nigerian government led by President Bola Tinubu and the organised labour, namely the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

In a statement signed and issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur A. Muhammad-Baba, the ACF noted that the nationwide indefinite strike, as earlier proposed by the organised labour, would be detrimental to the northerners who are already facing disadvantages due to the policies and hardships under the Tinubu government.

However, the ACF has cautioned against relying solely on public policy solutions advocated by multilateral finance organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Naija News reported earlier that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government entered into an agreement and signed a 15-point memorandum with the organised labour in Abuja on Monday night during an emergency session.

The Organised Labour had earlier scheduled to commence a nationwide strike, but the plan was suspended on Tuesday. The decision was made after both parties signed the 15-point memorandum of understanding as a last-minute effort to prevent the strike.

In its reaction to other issues of concern, the ACF further emphasized that there is still much work to be done in the administration of economic policies in the country.

According to the statement, “It should be instructive to our policymakers that Southeast Asian nations pulled themselves out of the economic crisis of the 1980s and 1990s by largely ignoring, not by accepting, the policy prescriptions of the multilateral agencies.”

The ACF noted that these negative economic conditions were felt more in the northern states of Nigeria, “Being largely the most agrarian segment of the country with the lowest per capita incomes, poor scores in all indices of economic development and standard of living measures, etc.”

“While sympathising with organised labour, ACF has been concerned, apprehensive and edgy that a protracted labour strike would amount to a double jeopardy for the people of the North, already disadvantaged, as alluded to earlier. A middle ground was clearly indicated.”