Date: 2018-12-31

The Labour Party Governorship Candidate in Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu says the best tribute to former President Alhaji Shehu Usman Shagari, is for the politicians to rededicate themselves to the great task of nation building through statesmanship and renewed peaceful democratic conduct as elections approach.

In his message of condolence to President Muhammadu Buhari, the government and people of Sokoto State, the Sultan of Sokoto and the entire Sokoto caliphate on the death of the elder statesman, Comrade Aremu observed that the most remarkable attribute of President Shagari was "horizontal and vertical consensus building, tolerance and peaceful conduct in a polity rooted in acrimony and mutual war of attrition like that of Nigeria".

Statesmanship

The Labour Party candidate recalled that the late President Shagari even though leading the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) commendably supported the Lagos metro-line project notwithstanding the fact that former Governor Lateef Jakande of Lagos state hailed from the opposition Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) party. Comrade Aremu also noted that President Shagari "exercised considerable Presidential restraint" in the face of provocation of the then opposition Oyo state government whose officials demolished NPN houses. "Housing-for-Hall" was the cardinal programme of Shagari's NPN.

Divine Reminder

Comrade Aremu noted the death of President Shagari on the eve of historic 2019 elections was a divine reminder by all members of the political class to play by the rules of INEC in ensuring that Nigeria has free and fair elections.

Comrade Aremu said he and his Party were inspired to run for gubernatorial elections in Kwara by the worthy attributes of Shagari in selflessness, modesty, integrity and service to humanity, values he observed are in deficit today in kwara state.

Comrade Aremu who is also a NEC Member of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) observed that the legacy law signed by the late President is the first Minimum wage Act of 1981.

He therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari to speedily present the new Minimum Wage bill of negotiated N30,000 to the National Assembly for legislation recalling that what distinguished Shagari leadership was his power of delegation, persuasion and negotiation which made him "reached a number of agreements with labour over wide range of issues that included minimum wage review, car and leave allowances, provident fund and decent work in general."

"It is to the eternal credit of Shagari’ tenure and his team (the notable being Alhaji Shehu Musa) that there was only one national strike which lasted one day during the second Republic dispensation and in one particular instance President Shehu Shagari personally intervened to stop a major strike threat." Comrade Aremu remarked. He prayed that Allah grant the late President Shagari Aljanah Firdaous.