From Fred Ezeh and Vikky Uba, Abuja
The Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad, has called for speedy and friendly engagements that would herald industrial harmony in Kaduna State.
He also challenged stakeholders to seek ways to end the prolonged strike that has crippled official activities in the judiciary.
The Sultan, who spoke at the second quarterly meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja on Wednesday, said the increasing unrest across the country portends serious danger to the socioeconomic development of the country.
‘If nothing is done as quickly as possible, insecurity may consume all of us. And if it eventually happens, we won’t have anywhere to stay, to call our country. We have to work to ensure we don’t allow it to happen,’ he said.
‘As religious leaders, people are looking up to us for direction and guidance. The issue of Judiciary worker’s union that has been on strike for two months is unacceptable. I have not come across a country where the judiciary system is closed down for two months.
‘All stakeholders should do anything possible to resolve the dispute. All parties should come to dialogue table to discuss the issues. Another issue is the parliamentary workers union strike over their request for financial autonomy. The decision has led to grounding of state Houses of Assembly. We must look for a way to resolve the issues so that industrial peace can be restored.’
On the ongoing Kaduna labour crisis which had led to a total shutdown of economic activities in the state, the Sultan asked all parties to reconsider their position and ensure that industrial peace and harmony is restored in the state.