The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday asked the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II to concentrate on promoting policies that will reduce poverty among his people rather than promoting those that will further impoverish them.
The congress said this in reaction to a recent call by the monarch for further devaluation of the naira.
In a statement titled “Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II’s Anti People Campaigns Should Be Ignored,” signed by its president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the NLC said the traditional institution in the country should speak for and protect the poor and must not become outposts of neo liberal institutions.
“The former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and now Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II has been widely reported by some newspapers to have openly canvassed the devaluation of our national currency, the Naira as well as total removal of subsidy on petroleum products by the Federal Government.
“We believe the Emir was expressing his private opinion and not speaking for the traditional institution or his emirate where industries have totally collapsed leaving the emirate with one of the highest population of victims of anti-people policies powered by neo liberal interests.
“The eminence of his position as an emir should not be rubbished with constant proclamations or campaigns for policies that has proven over the years as not only damaging to our national economy, but targeted against majority of our people who flounder in abject poverty.
“The traditional institution should speak for and protect the poor, and must not be turned to outposts of neo liberal institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank and their cohorts who imposed policies such as the Structural Adjustment Programme under which the Naira was devastatingly devalued while production halted with the near total collapse of industries.
“As an import driven country, the effect of devaluing our national currency is more on the quality of life of ordinary Nigerians who bear the brunt of high cost of goods and services given the fact that the exchange rate of the Naira to the dollar has gone record high from N154 to a dollar to over N225 to one dollar,” the statement read.
