ZAMFARA ELDERS MEETING WITH NLC AND CONDITIONAL SUSPENSION OF STRIKE: The Position Of Civil Society Organizations

By Anas Sani Anka

Zamfara Elders headed by Ambassador MZ Anka met at the Resident of General Aliyu Gusau to tackle the lingering crises between Zamfara State Government and Nigeria Labour Congress.

The State Chairman of the Congress Comrade Bashir Mafara while briefing members of the Network of Concern Civil Society Organizations at the Labour House in Gusau said their offer to the NLC is subject to deliberation by the congress.

The Chairman in the course of our disengagement makes it very clear that, at the end of the meeting elders make passionate appeal to the congress. in his words, “they are pleading with the labour to agree on conditional suspension of the strike pending when the Governor is back to the state for full negotiation”.

Our position on this offer to suspend the strike is “Capital No”. and our reason is simply because what we expect from their meeting with due respect to their personalities is to offer to the Labour Union a guaranty that the strike should be suspended with the full assurance that all or parts of their demands must be fulfilled by the Governor. This is how elders should speak.

In natural senses, the voice of the elders should attract command and not only command but should be respected by whoever is concern. Imagine a meeting of respected personalities that have people like Ambassador MZ Anka, Aliyu Mohd Gusau, Malam Yahaya Abdulkarim Senator Saidu Mohd Dansadau, and their likes?.

Our hope when the Labour leaders in the state left for the meeting with the elders was that, the strike action would come to an end today because these personalities represent a symbol of hope for the hopeless people like us.

At the meeting the members of the Civil Society unanimously agreed that, such conditional offer by the elders should not be accepted. Instead, they renewed their calls on the elders to see their position as significant to saving the lives of the people of Zamfara.

In their collective calls, they call on the elders to face the government and tell those in position of authority the right thing to do.

We want to hear their words of commands and action that is visible in ending this crises. NLC joint Congress meeting with the Civil Society Organizations tomorrow at the Labour House would chat a way forward.

By Anas Sani Anka