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The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have officially suspended their strike action following a series of negotiations with the government regarding the minimum wage.
But while it lasted, Nigeria was promptly thrown into darkness after electricity workers shut down the national grid. The series of events sparked reactions from Nigerians across social media, celebrities included.
Here's how some celebrities have reacted:
Falz
Following the commencement of the strike, airports were closed and planes were grounded leaving many Nigerians stranded, including rapper Falz. on June 3, 2024, he took to his Instagram Story to narrate how he was affected by the strike.
He said, "That's how I woke up this morning, set out to go to the airport only to find that the airport is closed and all flights are cancelled because of the strike. I can't make it to Lagos and I'm now stuck in Uyo."
Despite this, he expressed wholehearted support for the movement, stating that the strike should have taken place earlier.
He added, "Despite the fact that it really affects me, I understand the need for the strike and I'm with them. I'm with the Labour because at the end of the day, werey ni awon people yi. They're mad. The strike should have happened earlier than now in fact."
Mr Macaroni
Popular comedian and actor Mr Macaroni took to X to express his outrage over the Nigerian government's leadership. He bemoaned the state of the nation, stating that the government refused to provide the basic amenities.
His post read, "Nigerians wey no get wahala. I wonder why our politicians can’t simply see this. Provide basic amenities, respect the people’s fundamental human rights and create an enabling environment for the people. Simple. Everyone is happy. But no. Politicians want to steal for themselves and generations unborn! The greed is appalling!"
Kate Henshaw
On June 3 2024, Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw took to X to complain about the nationwide electricity blackout.
Her post read, "We have been in darkness since 5am this morning... It started at 2 am oo so dem remember us late sef...They gave us 3 hours grace."
Exasperated she also said, "My tired is tired with all the lies and greed TBH."
Seun Kuti
During the discussions on X about the minimum wage, singer Seun Kuti went live on Instagram and introduced the concept of a maximum wage. He then stressed that the maximum wage should not be ten times more than the minimum wage, and gave his reasons why.
He said, "I believe in a maximum wage but our maximum wage must be tied to our minimum wage. If they increase the minimum wage, what would happen is that even if the government can put price control, the prices of things would shoot up exponentially so the minimum wage would immediately lose value. We must put laws in place to make sure that the maximum wage is not 10 times more than the minimum wage."
Nwanchukwu Emioma
Nollywood actor Nwanchukwu Emioma expressed his support for the NLC and the strike action saying, "If this strike would bring about the change we seek, then everyone needs to throw their weight in because the suffering is unhealthy."