Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has made a heartfelt appeal to labour unions to reconsider their decision to commence a nationwide strike on Tuesday, October 3.
The strike was scheduled in response to the removal of fuel subsidies by the Federal Government.
During a public lecture commemorating the nation’s 63rd Independence Anniversary in Abuja on Friday, Abubakar urged the unions to refrain from strike action “in the interest of the masses.” He stressed the importance of dialogue as a means to address the issues rather than resorting to a strike.
“I am an advocate of dialogue because strikes don’t solve problems; they make them worse. Our leaders must tighten their belts; the common man is suffering,” he emphasized. The Sultan expressed his belief that the government would not deliberately make life difficult for the people, and he called on stakeholders not to embark on actions that would worsen the plight of the common man.
“I don’t think this government will just decide to make life bad for the people; as leaders and elders, we will always call on stakeholders not to embark on journeys that will make life worse for the common man,” he stated.
Abubakar pointed out that a strike would exacerbate the existing economic challenges, leading to disruptions in essential services. “If people are on strike, there wouldn’t be electricity, water, hospital, and transportation systems. Please, let’s reach out to our brothers and sisters who are clamouring to go on strike. They should have a rethink,” the Sultan appealed.
