The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged the Federal Government to prioritise job preservation, income recovery and the creation of new jobs as Nigeria battle the spread of coronavirus.
President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said this in an Easter Celebration message to workers on Sunday in Abuja.
Wabba noted that the pandemic must now reawaken the government to focus on an efficient, resilient and inclusive health and education systems.
He urged workers to follow all the directives of government geared towards containing the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The NLC president also urged workers to use the period to show love, urging the rich to help the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the widows, the unemployed, the distraught and distressed in their troubles.
It reads: “This imposes on us a new sense of awakening to re-order our priorities. Government must now major on the major. We must rededicate ourselves to issues that bother the majority. The focus must be efficient, resilient and inclusive health and education systems. Given the impact of Covid-19, we must prioritize jobs preservation, income recovery and the creation of new jobs. This is about our collective will to survive.
“This Easter commemoration also demands a lot of sacrifice from all of us just as Jesus Christ sacrificed His life as a ransom for the sins of the world. We are greatly indebted to the sacrifice shown by frontline workers in the health, transport, and services sector, both formal and informal. Their huge personal sacrifices are making a world of difference between mass deaths and the safety of majority of us.
“We all must emulate their sacrifice of love and make their jobs a lot easier by following all the directives of government geared towards containing the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic. Until government says otherwise, we must all stay home, stay safe and remain vigilant.
“Finally, fellow workers, there is no better time to show love than this Easter period. The whole lessons of Easter are summarized by love. Now is the time for the rich to remember the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the widows, the unemployed, the distraught and distressed in their troubles. By identifying with the needy especially at this time, we would not only be carrying the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ but demonstrating the highest form of piety and worship to our Lord.
“We also use this medium to call on our security agents who are also part of the frontline workers against the Covid-19 challenge to demonstrate great restraint during the lockdown in many states of the federation.
“We condemn molestation of workers on essential duty. There is no sense in losing more citizens to bullets than the bite of Covid-19.
“Our heart and prayers go to all those who have lost dear ones to the Covid-19 pandemic or suffered other forms of loss. While we look forward to the resurrection that Easter Sunday brings, our faith remains unshaken that this dark cloud will soon pass away. We believe that we shall arise from this pandemic better, wiser, and stronger!”