NLC to Commence on Statewide protest Wednesday

This comes amid nationwide fuel shortages caused by President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural address in which he declared that “fuel subsidies are gone.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for a nationwide strike beginning the following Wednesday.

This comes amid nationwide fuel shortages caused by President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural address in which he declared that “fuel subsidies are gone.”

The announcement was made by NLC President Joe Ajaero following an emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja.

He stated that the government, specifically the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, had until next Wednesday to revert to the previous price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as gasoline.

Ajaero added that if the Federal Government did not comply with the ultimatum, nationwide protests would continue indefinitely.

Tinubu And The Debate Over Subsidy

Monday, during his inaugural address at the Eagle Square in Abuja, Tinubu stated that the era of fuel subsidy payments has ended, adding that further payments are no longer justifiable as the budget for 2023 makes no provision for fuel subsidies.

“The fuel subsidy has ended,” said Tinubu. His government would instead divert funds into infrastructure and other sectors to strengthen the economy, he added.

The presidential proclamation precipitated an almost instantaneous resurgence of petroleum lines across the nation, with Nigerians scrambling for the premium product.

Tinubu’s decision was initially supported by the NNPCL and the House of Representatives, but it has since encountered opposition from the NLC and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).

According to labor unions, the President cannot unilaterally decide to remove subsidies.

Festus Osifo, president of the Trades Union Congress, argued that the previous administration of Muhammadu Buhari moved the “sensitive issue” onto the new government for a reason.

Failed Talks

On Wednesday, a three-hour meeting between the Federal Government and the NLC regarding the issue concluded with no agreement.

Representatives of the Federal Government included President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson, Dele Alake; the Group CEO of the NNPC, Mele Kyari; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

On the side of organized labor, Joe Ajaero, National President of the NLC, and Festus Osifo, President of the TUC, were present.

The NLC demanded that the Federal Government return to the status quo by reversing the price of petroleum before resuming negotiations with labour.

Ajaero insisted that the Federal Government did not engage in any dialogue, even regarding palliative measures for Nigerians, thus rejecting the most recent announcement.