NLC in Lagos wished the strike goes on as scheduled even when the federal government backtracks on its decision to remove fuel subsidy
By Eberechi Obinagwam,
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called off the planned strike action against the federal government’s move to increase the pump price of fuel.
The Lagos State Labour Chairperson, Comrade Funmi Sessi who received the news from the NLC National Executive Committee (NEC), said it is painful to them in Lagos that the protest has to be suspended.
The ongoing NLC meeting in Abuja after a strategically planned meeting with several labour unions towards a proposed nationwide protest to commence from Thursday, January 27, called it off after the Nigerian government reversed its decision to remove fuel subsidy on fuel.
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”For once, we were ready for this mobilization. But the NLC in its wisdom has agreed with the federal government to suspend the strike with the intervention of those who are stakeholders. We are keeping it to allow peace to reign. We are expecting that this government be truthful and maintain the refineries and stop wastage,” she said.
Earlier at the meeting, she said the proposed increase in pump price will not only affect workers, but the totality of Nigerians, hence the reason why the union had wanted to go for a protest against the decision because of the masses that will be affected. She said the strike was however suspended for peace to reign.
She also disclosed that the 5000 palliatives the government said it will give out to citizens are a corruption scheme.
“This government has failed its citizens. We are not asking for palliative, all we want is good governance. They have failed to put their position to work. Selling of refinery assets to individuals who will go and refine it and bring it back to sell at the International rate for us here like the price of cement is being determined by one person, Aliko Dangote, the sales at the price of N2000 in Ghana, but here, in this country, he sells it at N4050 which is not supposed to be so. The government should maintain the refineries and not sell or increase prices at this time,” she said.