The House of Representatives has commended the organised labour, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, for suspending their planned nationwide strike over the increase in fuel price and electricity tariff.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, said in a statement on Tuesday that the decision of the labour union to shelve the strike was in the best interest of the Nigerian people and the economy, which would have suffered a rude shock if the strike had gone ahead.
He said that the dialogue between the government and labour was a constructive way of finding a solution to the challenge facing the country, and urged both parties to continue to engage in good faith.
He also lauded all those who played a role in reaching the agreement that averted the strike, saying that it showed that dialogue would always lead to positive results.
He said, “We have come to a place where reasoning and dialogue to resolve issues is the ultimate.”
He expressed his support for the federal government’s initiative to budget N100 million to procure CNG-powered buses and to provide CNG kits for conversion of vehicles in the country, as part of measures to cushion the impact of fuel price hike.
He also expressed confidence in the ability of the President to stimulate the productive sector of the economy and to drive the economic recovery process.
He cited the third quarter microeconomic report that indicated that oil production increased from 1.2 million barrels per day to 1.45 million barrels per day, and called for more efforts to optimize oil production.
He said that the Parliament was focused on how to move the country forward.
