The Living Perfect Master and founder of One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj Ji has said that the planned strike by Labour leaders to force another shutdown from next week if the government does not agree to a minimum wage amount to “economic sabotage” and blackmail of the government and as a result they should be arrested for trying to cover up their aggression against the country for attacking the National Grid.
Recall Nigeria’s Trade unions last week went on a nationwide strike, shutting down the country’s power grid and disrupting flights as they resorted to drastic measures to press the government to hike minimum wages amid a cost-of-living crisis.
The labour unions suspended the indefinite strike on Tuesday after government officials invited them for negotiations as the industrial action affected power supply for the country’s 200 million people and stranded thousands due to flight cancellations.
Labour officials, for the first time in Nigeria’s long history of strikes, went to substations housing the country’s electricity grids, chased workers home, and cut off power supply nationwide. This is a heinous crime and a mutiny against the state just like attacking the Defence Headquarters, the Senate or the House of Representatives and or attacking the Chief of Defence Staff etc. of the Nation.
All airports, including two international ones, were shuttered. Workplaces and schools were closed and health services were disrupted. Crude oil production – Nigeria’s bread and butter – was also paralysed, likely amounting to a loss of millions of dollars.
This was contained in a press statement by Satguru Maharaj Ji through the One Love Family Minister for Information, Ojo Mogbadewa, at the weekend and made available to newsmen at the weekend.
Maharaj Ji said “that going on strike again would cause negative repercussions on the overall economy.
“While the arguments put forward by the NLC and TUC on their decision to embark on the indefinite strike are well noted, there is need to thread with caution on account of negative repercussions on the overall economy.
“Abandoning negotiations and shutting down the country will have untold hardship on all segments of the country.
“This hard stance will also fatally impact on the survival, resilience, productive capacity, and competitive advantage of the more than 39 million – strong MSMEs ecosystem,” He said.
Maharaj Ji explained that the MSMEs contribute significantly to economic stability through job and wealth creation as they account for 48 percent of Nigeria’s GDP and 84 percent of employment.
He called on the Labour leaders to sheath its sword and go back to negotiation table. They should stop threatening lives of Nigerian workers.
According to Maharaj Ji, “It’s the fourth time Nigerian workers have been striking since May last year when President Tinubu was first elected. Last August, resident doctors demanding better pay went on a three-week strike that ravaged the public health sector in defiance to a restraining court order barring them from embarking on the industrial action and we are yet to determine those who lost their lives.
“The two major labour unions, NLC and TUC, had last year declared a strike action, following the brutalisation of the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, in Imo State on 1 November. Mr Ajaero was attacked in Owerri, the state capital, during an NLC protest against the Imo State government over alleged maltreatment of workers in the state. “This is despite the restraining order issued by the National Industrial Court, in Abuja, on Friday, stopping the labour unions from embarking on the strike. What a leader disobeying court order.
“Going on strike again is an illegal and unwarranted act, a blackmail of the government.
“Joel Ajaero and his gang are not economists, and worse still, they are supporters of Peter Obi. They endorsed him during the election. They campaigned for him. They defended him. Please assume I am a liar and fact-check me. They are fighting a proxy war for Peter Obi. Obviously, the 2027 election is affecting their direction. They do not have an economic agenda. They have a political objective.
Where there is no motive strike is done perfectly okay with workers carrying placards to present their protest letter to the authorities concerned.
“Mark you, this is not the first time this group of men called the Labour leaders have tried to cause trouble in some states.
Remember, how, inspite of court order to stop strike few days to the elections in one of the Eastern states, the NLC President disobeyed and he nearly lost his life.
“We can remember vividly well during the oil windfall, the workers demanded for payment 18,000 in 2008 as recommended, in Anambra, the then Governor failed because the Labour Group who were visiting the states compromised which led to the Labour leaders being bribed but the salary awarded was not given. Some had gifts of bus while the local labour leaders were given free tickets to the Israel Holyland.
The unpatriotic zeal and mischievousness of the Labour Leaders influenced the Governor to hijack Pension Scheme for workers into the Fidelity Bank and uptil now workers funds have not been paid whilst we wait for another Mbonu Ojike to resurrect to help them.
“How can a Labour leader who compromised with the Governors become the spokesmen for workers at this crucial time and whose leadership supported the opposition candidate in the last Presidential elections be the one to be allowed to attack the national grid during their striking hours goes a long way to prove that those guys have a hidden agenda to truncate the new government into anarchy.
“So what do we call this? The attack on the National grid is a total attack on the nation, this cannot happen in UK, Russia, China, France, Germany and or USA for striking workers to attack the national grid while the soldiers guiding the area fold their arms. No! something has gone wrong otherwise, the soldiers on duty too are complicit. They too have to be arrested and tried. This is an act of aggression.
“The price of bread led to the revolt in France in which almost all the leaders were killed. This can’t happen here because the story is different.
“The difference is that an offer has been made to the workers and labour leaders for the fifth time running against a new government who should be supported to lead the country from the deadwoods of neglect, squalor and self-imposed poverty, arising from indirect rule from Europe. Edo has taken the lead with 70,000 per month (we hope this is not another Atiku game of the untouchables in PDP) whilst the other state Governments have expressed their unability to even pay for the Federal Government 60,000 per month goes a long way to prove that dialogue is better than the coupist way of trying to use the wage protest to over throw the Government. This is unacceptable.
“Another example is the attack by the Muslim Cleric El Zakzaky and his followers who were opiomised by the horse on paper called religion and who do not fully recognize that Allah who created Nigeria like any other country has a constitution in administering it and so Zaki got arrested and many died along with it, for terrorism. Today Zaki Zaki would never attempt to attack the Army Chief of Staff or block his path.
“This is not to talk of Ken Saro Wiwa who met his untimely death in a non-violent manner, fighting for equity.
“In Okuama, 18 Army Officers were killed which led to the town being flattened and more than hundred died, as reported in the dailies, for taking law into their hands.
“Remember how Odi in Bayelsa was knocked down by General Yar’Adua for the death of some security men on duty.
“Nigerians are law abiding people and would be ready to take the new salary offer while negotiations continue, because half bread is better than none.
“Thereafter, the Labour Leaders, if they are sincere will go round the country to ensure compliance and if possible picket employers who refuse to pay the recommended salary award and recommend then to the government for sanctions or trial.
“The Labour Leaders should not forget that the 5% gift for whistle blowers is still in force and it would benefit them to take full advantage of this policy to enrich themselves instead of putting their integrity at stake on the platter of sin and repent when it is quite clear that what you sow you reap.
“We are yet to ascertain how many died during the stampede in many homes, hospitals, business centers, etc. when the National Grid was attacked by the Labour Leaders Group without due respect for the people whom the Labour Leaders claim to represent.
The same way today, if we do not teach the Labour Leaders the lessons of how not only to win elections by fraud, we should be able to let them know that they have fumbled by attacking the National Grid and if they are not prosecuted, they might go beyond that so prevention is better than cure.
“Nobody is against strike action with protests but it has to be non-violent to show how serious the matter is. But to decide to attack the National Grid is a serious crime and an act of terror that should not be overlooked.
“In the words of the Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria no where in the world would striking workers dare to attack the national grid of the country as if we are in a lawless country.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria must act now to arrest the Labour Leaders and the security men at the National Grid at the time of the attack for terrorism, treasonable felony charges while at the same time find true patriotic Nigerians to replace them.
“The security men who are responsible for guarding the place needs to be arrested and treated as terrorists as such along with the Labour Leaders to serve as a deterrent against others who might likely wish to attempt this dastardly act.
Please arrest them for trial as terrorists. They are on their own, they don’t believe in the workers plight, they are servicing their personal interests.