Nigerian opposition leaders have announced a total withdrawal of all government and private services on Wednesday 7th June, following blatant hiking of fuel price by their new President Bola Tinubu
According to sources from Nigeria Labour Congrass, yesterday, shunned a scheduled meeting with the government officials over the removal of subsidy and subsequent over 200 per cent increase in the pump price of petrol until fuel price is returned to status quo.
President Bola Tinubu’s removal of the subsidy during his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023 scarcity of the product hit the citizenry nationwide as marketers hoarded and hiked the price of fuel.
A meeting between government officials and labour leaders last Wednesday, ended prematurely, as a result of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, [NNPCL’s] release of a petrol pump price template pegging pump price of petrol at between N488 and N557 per litre
The meeting was scheduled to continue yesterday but one of the leaders of the NLC told media that “officials of government have been calling us and we have bluntly told them that we will no longer hold any meeting with them until the pump price of petrol is returned to pre-May 29 price.
In other words, the pump price of petrol has to return to status quo to give room for negotiation and way forward.’’
However, leaders of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, yesterday met with government officials but the meeting was inconclusive as both parties resolved to continue talks on the issue tomorrow.
They also demanded a pay rise to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal.
NLC mobilises for a strike Wednesday
Meanwhile, ahead of the planned nationwide indefinite strike from Wednesday, the NLC has directed its state councils and affiliates to ensure full mobilization of workers and civil society allies among others towards a total strike should the Federal Government refuse to reverse the pump price of petrol to pre-May 29 prices by tomorrow (Tuesday).
In a letter, titled: “Notice on mobilisation for nationwide withdrawal of service,’’ by the General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, the NLC wrote: “We bring you greetings from the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress. You will recall that arising from the National Executive Council meeting held on 2nd June 2023, it was decided that congress will embark on a nationwide action and withdrawal of services, against the fraudulent increase in the price of fuel across the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the FCT.
“Please, be informed that the nationwide action will commence on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. To this effect, we request that all state chairpersons should mobilise workers for the action and ensure full compliance with the directives as services in both the public and private sectors are expected to be fully withdrawn by Wednesday, June 7, 2023
All state chairpersons are expected to fully abide by the decisions of the National Executive Council.”
Recall that NLC had on Friday in a communique at the end of an emergency National Executive Council, NEC, meeting, “considered the huge suffering pervading the nation, the outrage expressed by the majority and the increased attendant fears of the consequences of the PMS price hike, unanimously condemned the actions of the Federal Government and reached the following conclusion that it was unlawful for the Federal Government to have announced the withdrawal of subsidy on PMS.
“The 2023 Appropriation Act made provisions for funding subsidy regime on PMS till the end of June 2023.
“It is unfair for the government to knowingly take action that will inflict pains on the populace and workers without putting adequate safeguards in place.
“Discussions were already on an understanding reached with the government on the conditions precedent before the withdrawal of subsidy o
All local refineries, especially the publicly-owned four, have remained comatose as a result of the government’s inability to get them operationally turned around.
“We cannot accept any petroleum product price increase until products are refined locally. The Federal Government’s decision was unilateral and, therefore, runs counter to the spirit of national consensus and social dialogue.
The “NEC-in-session also noted that there is a subsisting judgment of the court that voided the powers of the Nigerian state to deregulate and fix prices of petroleum products in the country.
“Between 1993 and 2023, about $ 6 billion was used for Turn Around Maintenance, TAM, of the refineries without any results. $ 7 billion was given to 14 banks owned by the elite from the public treasury to keep them afloat. Between 2016 and now, N26 trillion was given to the rich as import waivers.
“The NNPC is still unable to tell us how it arrived at the pricing templates and the names of the beneficiaries of the subsidy
NEC-in-session subsequently resolved to demand the immediate withdrawal of the vexatious NNPCL price adjustments and revert to the old price in keeping with the 2023 Appropriation Act, to immediately commence effective mobilization of all workers and citizens, in conjunction with the civil society, for a robust and inclusive engagement to resist the imposition of higher prices on PMS on Nigerians.
“NEC-in-session, hereby, affirms a seven-day ultimatum, beginning from Wednesday, May 31, 2023, to the federal government to revert to the old price to allow dialogue to proceed.
“On the expiration of the ultimatum without full compliance by the Federal Government, Congress shall embark on an indefinite nationwide withdrawal of services and mass protests, starting 00:00 hours on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. To this end, all affiliates and state councils of the NLC are directed to immediately commence full mobilization of members to ensure the success of this action nationwide.”
New fuel price’s illegal — NLC President
President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said: “The Congress decided that if by Wednesday, the NNPCL, which illegally announced a price regime in the oil sector refuses to reverse itself for negotiation to continue, the NLC and all its affiliates will withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide until this is complied with
The NNPCL doesn’t have the monopoly to act illegally even as a private company. The NLC NEC, therefore, directs all state councils and all industrial unions to commence mobilisation from this moment to make sure that this action is enforced. The action has commenced immediately.”
“The NLC is calling for a thorough probe in the process of subsidy to know those involved and the amount involved. Investigate it properly before it is swept under the carpet. The current attempt to sweep the fraudulent practices in the subsidy regime should not be tolerated by all well-meaning Nigerians.”
Checks by Vanguard, weekend, showed that many labour organisations have been mobilising in line with the NLC directive to embark on a protest on Wednesday. The NLC confirmed that it has mobilised 48 affiliate unions, Miyetti Allah Peace Initiative and all its 36 states’ councils including Abuja, to embark on nationwide withdrawal of services, if the government and others failed to reverse the new pump price of fuel.
Nationwide blackout looms as electricity workers join NLC’s planned strike
Electricity workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, said yesterday they would join the NLC in its planned strike over the removal of petrol subsidy
The NUEE, in a notice by Dominic Igwebike, acting general secretary, urged its members to comply with the directive and stop work from the early hours of Wednesday.
The memo read: “Sequel to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Emergency National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held on June 2, 2023 at the Labour house Abuja, over the sudden removal of fuel subsidy which has brought untold hardship to Nigerians as well as increased inflation in the economy, the NLC has directed that the nationwide withdrawal of Services action will commence on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
“To this effect, all national, state and chapter executives are requested to start mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive.
“Please note that withdrawal of services nationwide commences from 0.00 hours of Wednesday, June 7, 2023.”
FG, TUC meeting inconclusive, to reconvene today
TUC’s meeting with officials of the Federal Government yesterday, it was inconclusive but TUC president, Festus Osifoh, said some progress had been made.
He said each party had made proposals, adding that while representatives of government would take theirs to the government, TUC would take its own to Congress for harmonisation and approval and then meet again tomorrow.
Osifoh said the Federal Government also promised to reconstitute a minimum wage review committee.
Briefing State House correspondents, the leader of the government delegation, Dele Alake said that the meeting went smoothly with some demands made from both parties.
On the other demands beyond the minimum wage, he said, “It is a list but we are not going to be listing all of them now. The most important is the minimum wage, which is an increase in the minimum wage. Because, when this thing is removed, the argument of Labour is that there is an immediate impact on the workers, on the purchasing power because the price of fuel has gone up
NUJ mobilises members for nationwide protest
Also, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, has rejected the sudden removal of fuel subsidy and directed its members to join the nationwide strike being planned by the NLC from Wednesday, if the NNCPL failed to reverse the hike in pump price of petrol as being demanded by NLC.
In a statement by its National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman, the NUJ said that at an emergency Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting on Saturday, June 3, 2023, it discussed issues surrounding the FG’s decision to remove fuel subsidy and the position taken by the NLC.
The statement read: “After presentations by the National President, Chris Isiguzo, and the National Treasurer, Bamidele Atunbi on the position taken by NLC on the matter, members unanimously adopted the position of NLC on the issue.
“CWC reiterates the argument that although the removal of fuel subsidy will free allocations which can be channelled to the provisions of infrastructure and creation of additional jobs, the sudden removal could, however, lead to social unrest and protests as people may perceive Government as being insensitive to their plight
CWC also notes that already there is an astronomical increase in the prices of petroleum products and high inflation which have drastically reduced the purchasing power of citizens.
“Accordingly, CWC directs all state councils of the Union to mobilise members to withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide from Wednesday next week, 7th June 2023, if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNCPL) refuses to reverse the new price regime in the oil sector.”
NNPC winds down crude oil swap contracts — Kyari
Meanwhile, NNPC Limited has concluded plans to stop its crude oil swap contracts with traders as it plans to pay cash for petrol imports.
As a state-owned Corporation, NNPC Limited used to allocate or provide crude oil to importers instead of paying money, in the the past