2020 Workers Day
The 2020 edition of the International Workers Day is such that is unusual globally, Nigeria inclusive given the outbreak of the Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic which makes it hard for a large number of people to gather in celebration of any event.
In Nigeria, the Federal government has declared today, May 1st public holiday in commemoration of the annual event which is specially designed to celebrate the achievement of workers and recognise their contribution to nation’s economy and growth.
The public holiday was announced by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on behalf of the federal government and he acknowledged the fact that the pandemic will have its toes on the nation’s economy.
Given this year’s theme “COVID-19 pandemic and its Socio-Economic Impact on the Nigerian Working Class” it is imperative to consider the possible impact of the pandemic on the nation’s economy, hence, the need to put heads together to come up with realistic ideas on how to put the economy in good shape after the pandemic.
No gainsaying the fact that global economy is seriously punctured by the virus and many concerned bodies like the International Monetary Fund, IMF and the World Bank have alerted different countries on the need to brace up for the reality that might arise after the virus must have been defeated.
Here in Nigeria, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has been saddled with the responsibility of leading the National Economic Committee that is expected to come up with ideas on how to salvage the economy during and after the pandemic to avoid experiencing recession again.
As many Nigerians are curious about which way to go, it seems the Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has the answer to how to position the nation’s economy.
In a publication on Thursday, the former PDP presidential Candidate suggested that Nigerians’s economy must be diversified to embrace agriculture as the primary sector earmarked for development.
According to Atiku, Agriculture is key to ensuring food subsistence, and with the recent signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AFCTA), which favours Nigeria’s economy greatly, Nigeria can take advantage of this to become an agricultural powerhouse in Africa.
He said, Nigeria can easily become a value-added re-exporter of African coffee to the world and need to begin to invest her resources wisely in order to maximise dividends.
Atiku also suggested that the nation’s energies, resources and focus, must be on how to diversify her economy and not increment of expenditure.
As much as it is Imperative for Nigerian leaders and concerned individuals to shun politics and joggle ideas on how to save the nation’s economy at a crucial time like this, the Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and other professional bodies need to wake up to the reality that they also have roles to play in positioning the economy right.
Nigeria is blessed with great minds, and it would amount to waste of human resources if the people that should come together to brainstorm on how to save the economy are playing politics with something as crucial as the economy.
The government must work on how to raise the standard of worker’s welfare and workers must, in return, put aside selfish interest to put the nation’s interest first.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC is shouting against undue cut of workers’ pay amidst alarming job loses. While these are going on, companies are left without options but to lay off their staff members they can no longer keep because of their economic woes.
Pay cuts are been recorded on a daily basis, while majorly private workers and going hungry. Despite this, the 2020 Workers Day must be commemorated.
We wish all the Nigerian workers a Happy 2020 Workers Day celebration
