Satguru Maharaj Ji, founder of the One Love Family, has appealed to Nigerian workers to suspend their planned strike and embrace dialogue with the Federal Government over demands for improved welfare.
Maharaj Ji made the appeal in a press release issued in Ibadan on Monday to mark World Teachers’ Day, describing workers’ demands as legitimate but warning that industrial action could worsen the country’s economic challenges.
He urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other labour organisations to explore all legitimate avenues of negotiation, expressing confidence that President Bola Tinubu would listen to their concerns.
According to the spiritual leader, although Tinubu is not a perfect leader, he has demonstrated a willingness to engage Nigerians and address issues affecting different sectors of the country.
“President Tinubu, right from day one of his administration, has shown that he is a listening father, who has always been showing his readiness to engage with Nigerians and address issues affecting different sectors of the country,” he said.
Maharaj Ji argued that both the Federal Government and the current NLC leadership inherited an economy facing serious challenges, which, he said, required constructive engagement and collective efforts rather than recurring industrial disputes.
He attributed some of Nigeria’s economic difficulties to the legacy of colonialism, imperialism and exploitation, urging government and labour leaders to address the underlying causes of the country’s problems.
The One Love Family founder also criticised what he described as a cycle of disagreements, strikes, blame games and unfulfilled promises between the government and organised labour, arguing that the approach had failed to provide lasting solutions to workers’ welfare concerns.
He maintained that labour unions could deploy legitimate measures to compel the government to negotiate without resorting to industrial action, particularly given the economic hardship confronting Nigerians.
To support his position, Maharaj Ji cited several policies and measures of the Tinubu administration which he said demonstrated efforts to improve welfare across different sectors.
These, according to him, included the resolution of disputes involving the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), student loan schemes, payment of outstanding arrears owed to medical doctors, an increase in workers’ salaries to ₦80,000, improved allowances for university students, and salary increases for military and police personnel.
He also listed efforts towards state police creation, reconstruction of ports and harbours, increased federal allocations to state governments, and expanded trade relations with countries including the United States, China and Russia.
Maharaj Ji further urged labour leaders to look beyond salary demands and consider broader national challenges, stressing the need for mutual understanding, sacrifice and sustained engagement to achieve lasting economic progress.
Reflecting on the history of labour agitation in Nigeria, he referenced the leadership eras of the late Pa Imodu, Hassan Sunmonu and Pascal Bafyau, noting that workers’ welfare concerns had remained a longstanding national issue.
The spiritual leader also expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, claiming that his global spiritual mission, which began in 1980, and the activities of his devotees had contributed to protecting the country from forces he alleged were working against its development and stability.
He called on Nigerians to support national stability and urged the NLC leadership to reconsider the planned strike in the interest of workers and the wider population.
Maharaj Ji expressed confidence that the President would respond positively to workers’ demands, urging both parties to prioritise negotiations and national interest.
He concluded by wishing the NLC president well and expressing support for President Tinubu and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
