A former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has called for a shift on the part of organised labour, urging them to hold government accountable rather than fighting for “money, money.”
Makarfi gave the advice in an interview with journalists during the 36th Plenary/AGM of the Unity Schools Old Students Association which held at the Federal Government College, Kaduna on Saturday.
He said, “I had challenged, even before I became a governor, Labour leaders I knew that if they talked of money, money, money, they would end up with money that was not going to be useful.
“Rather, hold government accountable. Demand for good governance, demand for infrastructure, demand for security, demand for a lot of things that are expected from government, a living wage which will be minimal.
“But if you are always asking for money, somebody gives you N10 and takes away N30 for example, how do you benefit?
Makafi, who is a member of the association, added, “When you hear of wage increase in serious economies, it is by 1, 2, 2.3 per cent because it is not about the money; it is about what the government should provide. But here in Nigeria, we have freed government from providing those things and said no, give me, I can provide for myself when it is not possible.”
