The Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Issa Aremu, has called on the federal government to ensure a functional rail and energy sectors in order to boost the nation’s economy.
Aremu, who made the call in Ilorin while speaking with newsmen yesterday, expressed concern that Nigeria’s dream of being one of the leading 20 economies by 2020 might become a mirage except the rail and energy sectors were made to function well.
He said that there could not be a meaningful economic development or industrialisation in the country without stable power and a good transportation system.
He urged the Federal Government to focus on fixing the energy sector and protecting the market.
“The Federal Government should put in place a policy making it mandatory that Nigerians should not consume what they are not producing and that they should produce only what they consume.
“This was exactly the technique China used to develop its nation. They consumed only what they produced and Nigeria can learn from that in order for our country to grow and flourish,’’ Aremu said.
The labour leader also said that the high cost of production was killing the industries in the country.
On the achievements of the NLC, Aremu said the congress leadership had kept to its mandate by providing a voice not only for Nigerian workers but for the Nigerian people.
“Democracy may have its problems and challenges but military regime is not an alternative; our political leaders must reconnect with the masses because the poverty level is too high,” he said.
The labour leader appealed to the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to concentrate on an appropriate monetary policy by lowing interest rate so that Nigerians could borrow, arguing that lowering the interest rate would assist to grow the economy
Aremu rejected state police, saying that it would become a ‘deadly’ instrument in the hands of state authorities.
He advised the government to re-invent and fund adequately the Nigeria Police Force to meet the needs and aspiration of Nigerians.(NAN)