Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has expressed his belief that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) should be grateful that Nigeria is not under a military regime.
Onanuga made these remarks in response to reports of a complete shutdown of Nigeria’s power grid by the labour unions as part of their nationwide strike.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) issued a press release stating that the labour unions had shut down the national grid.
However, Onanuga, during an interview with ThePaan News, emphasized that the unions enjoy the freedom to protest because the country is currently under a civilian regime.
Onanuga urged the labour unions to view themselves as partners with the federal government rather than adversaries.
He expressed his belief that the labor leaders had exceeded their boundaries by shutting down the national grid, especially at a time when the country was already grappling with power shortages.
He considered the act extreme and suggested that joining the strike should be voluntary, rather than forcefully disrupting essential services like airports.
Appealing to the labour unions, Onanuga called for a more responsible approach and criticized their demands as unrealistic.
He highlighted the need for a constructive dialogue between labor and the government to address issues effectively.
