nationwide strike Archives

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday, January 20, noted that it will not reverse its decision to call out Nigerian workers on January 27 over the Federal Government’s decision to stop paying fuel subsidies by June.

This was disclosed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who said the organised Labour had made its intention known on the matter.

According to him, there was no justification whatsoever for the removal.

He said Nigerian workers were being mobilised to go on the planned rally against the decision next Thursday.

Wabba, who noted that some stakeholders were still consulting with the union, said the only thing that could make it shelve the planned protest was for the government to suspend the decision.

The NLC chief noted that before the national protest, the labour union would hold protest rallies in all the 36 states of Nigeria on January 27 against the subsidy removal.

Wabba said the removal of the fuel subsidy would expose Nigerian workers and the citizenry to acute deprivation and worsen the hyper-inflation trend in Nigeria.

The labour leader said Nigerians should not fall for the plans by the Federal Government to disburse N5000 to 40 million poorest Nigerians each as transport grants to cushion the effect of the planned removal of the fuel subsidy.

Wabba said the total amount involved, which he referred to as a queer initiative, was far more than the money government claimed to spend currently on fuel subsidy.

The Labour leader said any law that will impoverish Nigerians rather than lift them from the poverty line should be rejected.

Wabba alleged that those pushing for the subsidy removal were only interested in keeping Nigerians perpetually poor.

He wondered why it has been a difficult task for the country and the regulators of the petroleum sector to fix the refineries, adding that, until they are fixed, the nation would continue a vicious circle that leads nowhere.

Wabba said it was surprising to now see some forces backing the removal.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on Tuesday, December 22, stated that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would suspend its prolong strike before January 15.

4wardwego had reported that Ngige expressed similar optimism on the suspension of the strike in a chat with journalists at the weekend.

This came as a response to the part-payment of the university lecturers’ salary arrears by the government.

Ngige, who spoke at the meeting with ASUU in Abuja, added that the federal government has not received a letter from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who threatened to embark on protests if the two parties failed to resolve their dispute before the end of the year.

He said: “The government would disappoint all those wishing for the protests as all the matters in dispute must have been resolved by January 15.

“Those who want to use the #EndASUU protest to destroy public and private property or lecturers’ homes will be disappointed.

“I am optimistic that the meeting will produce the final result that will make everybody happy.

“We are hopeful that ASUU will then take the report of what we achieved today to their members. We allow social dialogue in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions for all employers and employees, to guide this meeting.”

In his response, the ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi sympathised with the students over the prolonged strike.

He said no amount of sacrifice would be too much to get the dispute resolved as long as the government remained consistent in its commitments.

He, however, insisted that only the National Executive Committee of ASUU could announce the suspension of the strike.

Meanwhile, the Presidency, on Tuesday, December 22, stated that the Federal Government may close the borders which were opened recently again if there is any “trouble”.

This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Presidency on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu; while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

Shehu stated that the FG is studying activities at four of the nation’s land borders which were reopened last week.

The Presidency aide further bemoaned that Nigeria’s neighbours had not cooperated with the country to curtail the influx of bandits; insurgents and small weapons fueling insecurity in Nigeria.

He said, “This is why the president considered the closure of the land borders for much of this time; until they were reopened a week or so ago.

“This country has been talking to our neighbours; asking them that they cooperate with us in order to stop this influx of bandits; weapons; drugs; and trafficking of Nigerian women; but the cooperation has not measured up to the expectation of the president.

“This is why he was forced by the necessity of the situation to shut down the borders,” Shehu added.

Tag: nationwide strike

NLC issues memo over Jan 27 nationwide strike against subsidy removal

Wabba said the total amount involved, which he referred to as a queer initiative, was far more than the money government claimed to spend currently on fuel subsidy.

Ngige reveals ASUU to end nationwide strike by Jan 15

Meanwhile, the Presidency, on Tuesday, December 22, stated that the Federal Government may close the borders which were opened recently again if there is any “trouble”.