The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will meet on Wednesday (today) at 2 p.m. to discuss the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, according to the NLC.
Joe Ajaero, the national president of the NLC, said this on Wednesday’s Sunrise Daily episode of Channels Television.
The withdrawal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, he claims, has the labor union interested in talking about the matter with the government.
Ajaero said “Government seems to have shown interest in the discussion. As of last night, they reached out and we have fixed 2 pm today (Wednesday) to commence discussion.
“There, all other issues will be discussed because you can’t just say there is no subsidy and then you are not producing and leave us to the vagaries of the market, to people who want to sell the product they bought for N10 for N100 to maximise profit. If there is no more garri, we must find out what to eat.”
The head of the NLC stated that if substitute measures are not implemented, Labour will not accept the elimination of gasoline subsidies.
He pointed out that the President ought to have inquired about the effects of the reduction of fuel subsidies on Nigerians living in the streets.
Ajaero advanced that “The pronouncement by Mr. President is as good as law and if in the process we make a law that is not practicable, the same people that made the law can look at it.” He listed the alternative as including the repair of the country’s four refineries and the provision of transportation of alternatives for the Nigerian workers.
He also said, “Does it bring pleasure to us to say subsidy is gone and people start suffering? Is it not part of leadership for us to look at how the suffering of the people can be reduced?”
