Labour Leaders to Buhari - Our Expectations in Your 2nd Term

As President Muhammadu Buhari continues to bask in the euphoria of his reelection for a second term of four years, Labour leaders have been speaking on their expectations from the president especially on the economy, good governance and welfare of the populace.

The labour leaders who spoke while reacting to the reelection of the President, pinpointed specific areas he must address urgently to better the economy and raise the standard of living of the citizens, especially workers and the ordinary Nigerians.

Speaking, General-Secretary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Okugbawa Lumumba, pleaded with the president to promote good governance that would benefit the nation and the masses.

"We want the government to expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill. The last bill was reviewed in 1959," Lumumba said.

The PENGASSAN scribe, insisted that there should be local refining of crude oil, instead of importation, to save cost, among other things.

He urged the president to also ensure transparency and positive reforms that would change the lives of the masses.

Also, Deputy General-Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers, NUTGTWN, Mr Ismail Bello, said the textile sector needed policies that would revive it and create jobs.

He lamented that unfavourable business environment, smuggling, among other factors, had made the textile manufacturing hubs in Kano, Kaduna and Lagos solitary camps, saying out of the 250 textile firms in Nigeria, about 25 were currently struggling to remain functional, due to smuggling and counterfeiting.

"There is need for the government to create the right environment and improve the economy, to help create more employment. Industrialisation is the key to development of any nation," he said.

According to him, the sector was expecting a boost in the patronage of local fabrics and an increase in electricity supply, to boost production, adding that government should equally collect right duties on imported fabrics, to discourage importation and provide gas at affordable prices, to reduce production cost.

Similarly, President of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products, NUCFRLANMPE , Babatunde Olatunji, advised the government to commence implementation of the leather policy, promised on October 31, 2018.

Olatunji said any policy, made to develop the sector, would improve the nation's gross domestic product, curb influx of foreign footwear and leather.