The Director General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Comrade Issa Aremu, has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to engage with the organised labour especially in the area of entrenching social dialogues on the cashless policy.
He said engagement in dialogue would stave off unnecessary disruption of the banking activities in the country.
Aremu made the call in Ilorin at the 40th prayer anniversary of the founder of the institute.
Aremu observed that it was time to rethink the Naira redesign policy given the hardship encountered by small depositors as a result of persistent prevailing incidence of network failure, which the CBN has acknowledged.
He said it was not unexpected that NLC would rise to speak for its members, who daily could not access money for subsistence but however said picketing was avoidable if the CBN engages labour with assurance of policy efficiency.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joseph Ajaero, had directed that the apex bank be picketed following frustration Nigerians are experiencing in an attempt to withdraw their money kept with the banks.
Aremu said political democracy must be complimented with economic democracy.
“CBN has the responsibility to show the stakeholders including organized labour that the naira redesign is meant to improve public welfare not deepening income poverty,” he added.
The Director General said labour has always been enthusiastic in support for CBN development financing measures but regretted that the current cash crunch had engendered crisis of confidence in monetary and financial policy.
The former Labour Leader noted that the special interfaith prayers at the instance of the Institute was to appreciate Almighty God that MINILS had come of age as the regional centre of excellence in labour education in Africa.
He recalled that President Shehu Shagari formally commissioned MINILS in 1983 as part of the 3rd National Development Plan.
Aremu commended President Muhammadu Buhari for repositioning MINILS through the support of the two Ministers of Labour namely Mr Festus Keyamo and Dr Chris Ngige.
Delivering a sermon at the event, the immediate-past Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, and current Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Al-Hikmah University, Professor Lateef Oladimeji, stated that the institution has every cause to praise God because of the successes recorded.
He therefore underscored the many achievements the institute had attained as it has impacted on the development of the nation.
Also, religious leaders, Michael Adio, the Head of CAC Alabukun, Ilorin and Sheikh Suleiman Olayinka Kasandubu, both charged Nigerians to always pray for the nation, adding that prayers can change situation for the better.
They prayed for the success of MINILS, the Director General and staff of the institution and Nigeria as a whole.
