Mr Issa Aremu, the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), on Tuesday urged Federal Government to hasten implementation of increased workers wages in the country.
Aremu gave the advice at the NUTGTWN 29th Annual National Education Conference tagged “Labor, Industry and National Unity” in Sokoto.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to expand the composition of newly established National Industrial Council to include state governments and labour union representatives, to obtain more inputs.
He said poor workers’ wages in the country had attracted many bad attitudes on the side of workers while the present composition of council was all high level businessmen who might mainly defend their interests on gain of every transaction.
The Secretary emphasised the need for increased investment on education and capacity building to improve productivity of Nigerians and advised government to facilitate expansion of Health Insurance Scheme for the benefit of all.
“Recent signing of executive order of patronising made in Nigeria goods by Federal Government is encouraging as various materials, including official uniforms, were being imported.
“Government should use 2017 Budget on industrial revolution that will surely facilitate employments and drive the nation in good way as obtained in other developed nations,” Aremu said.
He commended Gov. Aminu Tambuwal for the courage in reviving ailing industries among northern governors, stressing that his focus on resuscitation of collapsed Kaduna Textiles Ltd. had manifested to plans for establishment of textile industry in Kalambaina in Sokoto State.
Also, the National President of NUTGTWN, Mr John Adaji, said the union members contributed in chain value and added service to real agriculture and manufacturing in Nigerian economy.
Adaji urged government to address the challenges of unemployment and enjoined unions to support the universal survival of industries through effective implementation of right policies.
The president said the union would endorse Gov. Tambuwal for any higher political aspiration in view of his commitment to workers’ welfare and interest in industrial growth.
In their separate remarks, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar and Bishop Mathew Kukah, expressed appreciation over the union’s achievements and their struggle to create more awareness among Nigerians.
The leaders emphasised the need for more attention and drastic approach on the decay in Nigerian industries, urging stakeholders to facilitate ways to revive them to their last glory.
Opening the three-day conference, Gov. Tambuwal said that the Sokoto state government would soon connect its Independent Electric Power Supply to the national grid as 100 per cent of the project was completed and tested on three occasions.
Tambuwal, represented by Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Basher Garba, said constant electricity supply was the pillar of every industrial development, noting that government intensified efforts to increase power supply to attract more industries.
He said Sokoto planned to establish textile and fertilizer industries to fast tract employment generation and utilise abundant agricultural potentialities. (NAN)