Former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State Dr Emma Okah has appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria to make more sacrifices and find a middle ground to promote consensus in the ongoing face-off with the organised labour.
According to him, the endurance level of most Nigerians is nearing breaking point and no one can tell how much more it can be stretched.
Speaking to newsmen today in Port Harcourt, Dr Okah said there is no balance of sacrifice between the leadership and followership in Nigeria. “Evidence abound to show that while the leadership class is not ready to make sacrifices, they have constantly pushed the masses to the brink of collapse and if this is not managed well, a day may come when the rich and the poor would cry”
He noted that Labour is justified to proceed on the current indefinite strike but urged the two sides to face the economic realities on ground and shift grounds.
He said that within a space of 12 months, the removal of fuel subsidy, Dollar/Naira recalibration, and the sweeping inflation in the land as well as dwindling agricultural produce due to insecurity have made most Nigerian lives more brutish, meaningless and utterly hopeless.
While commending the masses for showing genuine understanding and making enormous sacrifices in the face of this new call to save the Nation, Dr Okah urged President Bola Tinubu and other leaders in top leadership positions across board to lead by example and reduce the glaring wastages in government. “When a people choose to bail themselves from any difficult position, the only rational thing to do is for all hands to be on the plough,” he said, noting that sieving those who are to bear the burden while others are feeding fat from the common treasury is a recipe for anarchy.
