Former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Ayuba Wabba, has called the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari a great loss to Nigerian workers and the poor. He described Buhari as someone who truly stood by ordinary people.
In his tribute, Wabba said many Nigerians, especially workers, were shocked by Buhari’s passing. He noted that Buhari’s economic decisions often showed concern for the poor and those struggling to make ends meet.
Wabba recalled that Buhari went to London for a routine medical check-up, but sadly didn’t return alive. According to him, Buhari would always be remembered for defending the rights and needs of the poor and vulnerable.
Wabba pointed out one of Buhari’s early moves in office: a $2.1 billion bailout package for states that couldn’t pay salaries and pensions. He said Buhari was very upset about how workers were being owed and once asked governors how they could sleep peacefully while their staff suffered.
In 2017, Buhari released another set of bailout funds worth billions of naira to help states clear salary and pension debts. However, Wabba sadly mentioned that some governors misused the money instead of paying workers.
He also praised Buhari’s role during minimum wage talks. Wabba said Buhari wanted to give workers more and even suggested an amount higher than the N30,000 eventually agreed upon. But many state governors refused to go higher.
Wabba said Buhari’s refusal to remove the petrol subsidy was one of his strongest stands for the poor. Even though international bodies like the IMF and World Bank pressured him to end the subsidy, Buhari refused because he didn’t want fuel prices to hurt ordinary Nigerians.
He added that good leadership should be judged by how leaders impact people’s lives, not just by what they say. Wabba said Buhari truly made a difference where it mattered — in the lives of workers, pensioners, and the poor.
Wabba ended his message by praying for Buhari’s soul to rest in peace. He also sent his condolences to Aisha Buhari, their children, the Buhari family, and all close friends of the late President.
