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On Monday, Bola Tinubu, the next president of Nigeria, pledged to work with Nigerian employees to improve welfare and working conditions, promising that "workers will have more than a minimum wage."
He also sought support for his soon-to-start administration in the fight against what he called "common" adversaries like poverty, ignorance, disease, divisiveness, and ethnic and religious hatred.
In a message he published on Monday in honor of Workers' Day, Tinubu declared, "Your fight will be my fight because I will always fight for you."
President-elect Tinubu said his Renewed-Hope Agenda for a better Nigeria was a covenant he was willing to uphold in the statement headlined, "President-elect's solidarity message to Nigerian Workers on International Workers Day."
The President-Elect Statement
"On this special day, as your president-elect, I extend my hands of friendship to the Nigerian workers through the two main labor unions, (the) Nigeria Labour Congress and (the) Trade Union Congress," the president-elect stated.
"You will find a trustworthy ally and co-worker in me in the struggle for social and economic justice for all Nigerians, including the working people.
"I will always fight for you, so your battle will be my battle. My Renewed Hope Agenda for a Better Nigeria outlines my objectives for improved welfare and working circumstances. It is a covenant that I am ready to uphold and one that was born out of conviction."
The Federal Government and Nigerian workers, according to Tinubu, are engaged in a joint struggle against "poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, ethnic and religious hate and all negative forces that contend against the stability and prosperity of our country." A battle must be won collectively, he claimed.
The former governor of Lagos State did, however, admit that the weeks that would follow his inauguration would demand tenacity since the public sector changes he seeks to execute would necessitate difficult choices.
"Workers in Nigeria, where I will have the honor and privilege to lead, will receive more than the minimum wage starting on May 29. You will be paid enough to live comfortably and support your family.
However, Tinubu warned that "the days ahead will demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides, because leadership will require that we make difficult choices in order for our people and all Nigerian workers to live more abundantly."
