President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday saluted Nigerian workers for their resilience in times of adversity.
In a message to mark this year’s Workers’ Day, Buhari saluted the workers for their unquestionable zeal.
“I know that with collective will and sense of responsibility, as a team, we shall triumph as a nation,’’ he said.
Commenting on the implications of the lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, he said that he understood the anxiety which has plagued the minds of workers over the possibility of job losses due to economic downturn caused by the pandemic and lock-down, especially in the private sector.
In this regard, he said, the Government would ensure that no employer would retrench or lay off workers without going through due process of social dialogue, which includes consultations with workers and with the Competent Authority – Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“Furthermore, I had earlier put in place a Presidential Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC) with the objective of developing a credible sustainability plan for repositioning the Nigerian economy now and post Covid-19 crisis period.
“The ESC is required to specifically explore ways and means of growing our non-oil sector – all in a bid to minimise the adverse effects of the current crisis and to also protect existing jobs and even create new jobs to help absorb the teeming army of the unemployed even before the crises,’’ he said.
He lamented that the usual pomp and ceremony characterized by sounds of drumming and march past by various Trade Unions and their Federations are missing in all the stadia throughout the Federation, including our Abuja Eagle Square, Abuja.
“This is so because we are fighting an invisible enemy to humanity termed Covid-19 Pandemic,” he said.
He said that at this time, “we must be our brother’s keeper by ensuring that I protect myself and protect others from me”.
“I, therefore, ask Nigerian Workers both in the public and private sectors with her formal and informal economy to bear the stringent measures for a while for our common good.
“This would enable us put the ravaging pandemic under control and restore normalcy within the confines of relevant guidelines issued by health experts and the government for safety against Covid-19 in order to curtail its spread,’’ he added.
MM/GIK/APA