Godwill Akpabio Laments Lawmakers’ Low Salaries As Senate Moves To Stop NLC Indefinite Strike

Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio has said earnings of members of the National Assembly are insufficient to take care of volumes of requests from their constituencies.

The Senate President said this in response to a resolution on the need to prevent an upcoming strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which was sponsored by Abdulraman Kawu Suleiman (NNPP, Kano).

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He claimed that notwithstanding the significant hardship brought on by the elimination of the subsidy on petroleum products, Nigerians must exercise more patience with the government while it develops measures to lessen their suffering.

In justification of his motion, Kawu pointed out to the Senate that “the strike would paralyse the country. There would be substantial restrictions on movement. Markets, schools, and healthcare facilities would have to close, and commercial transport operators would discontinue their services.  He issued a warning that the action would inflame the political climate and that benefits from the strike might be drastically outweighed by the expenses to the participants to the fight.

“The strike threat by the NLC, if avoided, might push Nigeria into even more dire economic straits, disrupt businesses, generate hunger, resentment, and other hardships that would result in immeasurable financial losses and lower Nigeria’s GDP.

The NLC strike, he continued, “is also bad for the Nigerian economy and educational system because it portrays the country in a negative light to the outside world and deters foreigners from coming to do business or study in the country.” After the discussion, the Senate ordered its leadership to mediate between the NLC and the Federal Government in order to stop the strike.