The President, Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, has said that if the Federal Government implements their demands, the life of an average Nigerian will be better.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Monday, the trade union leader lamented how the average Nigerian, under the minimum wage, could not afford to buy half a bag of rice to celebrate the last Christmas.
He, therefore, urged the government on all levels, including the federal, state and the local government, to heed to their call and implement their 10-point agenda in order to make lives better for all citizens of the country.
He said, “Yes, as you could rightly know, and as all Nigerians has equally witnessed as well that 2023 was a year that was extremely difficult, it was a year that nigerians passed through excruciating pain and difficulties.
“And so, having passed through that in 2023, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria felt that 2024 should be better off. I mean we should have a lot of hope in 2024, believing that the year had a lot in store for it. But we felt that this may not materialize unless the Nigerian government; both the federal government, the state government and the local government, if any still exist today, should all come together to ensure that the plights of Nigerians are addressed, the issues that are confronting Nigerians on a daily basis are addressed.
“So, it was based on that, we looked at those issues that are currently affecting Nigerians today? What are those issues that in 2023 has put Nigerians and the citizens of this our dear country in a very bad shape and untold hardship.
“So, looking at these issues, we looked at the issues of PMS, we looked at the issues of inflation, we looked at even how the issues of budgetary implementations are always done. So, it was based on this that we came up with this 10-point agenda because we feel that if government is sincere enough to implement these, put frameworks in place to address all these, the life of an average Nigerian would be better.
“How would you feel, everyday you’re receiving seemingly static salary and you go to the market you cannot buy anything. You could compare in 2022, what was the price of a bag of rice? But this Christmas, a bag of rice was sold as high as N70,000. So, for somebody that is under minimum wage, what could the person… I mean his wage cannot even buy half bag of rice. So, it’s a problem. I think this government must sit down and buckle its belt and address the issues that are affecting Nigerians.”
