By Bimbola Oyesola

Chemical and Non Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN),  has charged Nigerian workers to vote for the candidates who would place premium on their interests, come 2023 general elections.

The National President, Engineer Segun David in his address at the opening of the union’s 27th Annual National Management and Industrial Relations Seminar,  held on Wednesday in Akure, Ondo State said workers must vote according to their conscience.

In the 3-day seminar tagged, “Emerging Trends in the Labour World: Issues and Implications for Nigerian Workers”, he enjoined Nigerian Workers to shun tribal bigotry, nepotism, slaughtering competence, and other disturbing factors, but to fully participate in the exercise and vote for their desired candidate devoid of pecuniary returns.

In his words: “We can’t fold our arms and watch the nation collapse. Vote the candidate you are convinced has the workers and the general citizen interests at heart.”

Speaking on the state of inflation, he noted an excess pressure on the economy, adding that electioneering campaigns have spiked its course by virtue of reckless spending by politicians.

He added, “The choices made by politicians are also influenced by economic imperatives and social factors, the influence of politics on the economy is so monumental that it touches the economic life of every person and business.

“During this period, the economy becomes overloaded with money arising from excessive election spending which spikes inflation. Presently, the exchange of naira to dollar at the parallel market is over N700, you can imagine, the effect of it on business and consumption.”

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He implored workers to be concerned about the possible impact of the elections on their portfolio and the capital market.

David equalky noted that the lingering Russian/Ukraine War has become a threat to developing countries that depend on gas importations, likewise Nigeria which is currently battling with flooding.

David expressed bitterness over the negative impacts of the war and flooding on food prices, high cost of productions and consumptions in the country.

He reasoned that obstruction of gas importation and exports from Ukraine has drastically affected all facets of production and consumption.

In his words: “Giving the backdrops of fiscal policies, such as exchange rate effects on the economy, with its ripple effects on food prices and high cost of production, the globally effect of Russian/ Ukraine war cannot be under played.

According to him, currently the price of 50kg of rice is sold at N37,000, maintaining that the effects of flooding has exposed Nigeria underlying infrastructural problems, the persistent inflation rate, and depreciation of the local currency.

“Workers are at the receiving end because their take home cannot even take them to their company’s gate,” he said.