Organized labour has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s appreciation speech on Monday describing it as “truly presidential” “timely” and “reassuring on the unity and “indissolubility” of Nigeria as a Federal Republic.
In a statement in Kaduna, Comrade Issa Aremu, the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile and Garment Workers of Nigeria, (NUTGWN) an affiliate of the NLC, also called on all compatriots, “state or non-state alike” to rise and defend the Constitution of the country in the face of what he described as “forces of disunity, revisionism and sheer disintegration”. Comrade Aremu said President Muhammadu had exhibited remarkable statesmanship by devoting his first appreciation speech to the vexed issue of Nigerian unity in reminding all Nigerians of the “obvious truism” that the motto of Nigeria as enshrined in the constitution is “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”. The labour leader who is also a NEC member of the NLC urged other statesmen and women to emulate the President by “talking the right talk and working the talk” on Nigerian renaissance rather than organizing what he called “wasteful thanks giving/solidarity visits of dubious value”. “All Nigerians should not only decry hate speeches and hate conducts of forces of disunity but should also talk the language of unity and love as President Buhari had done.” he said.
He observed that “…hate speeches come from the constituencies, states and local governments not necessarily in Abuja,” and wondered why the governors, legislators and councils chairmen in the hate domains could not call the misguided few in their domains to order as Buhari has done”.
Comrade Issa Aremu who is also the Vice President of Industriall global union urged Nigerians to be ambitious in leading Africans from underdevelopment to prosperity which he said can only be possible with a strong united and indissoluble Nigeria as contained in the 1999 constitution.
Comrade Aremu said it is reassuring that President Buhari categorically declared that “Nigeria’s unity is settled and not negotiable” as well as repeating the obvious that “Every Nigerian has the right to live and pursue his business anywhere in Nigeria without let or hindrance”. The labour leader said Nigerians should compliment the President further by making sure that every African has claim to free movement in Nigeria as much as every Nigerian has the legitimate right to be anywhere in Africa. According to the labour leader, it was “madness” for anybody to think of breaking Nigeria into “ethnic enclaves” at a time Africa Union (AU) is working out a common passport for all Africans and almost 50 years Europeans have built a strong Union.
