By Olusegun Olanrewaju (Lagos), and Cross Udo (Abuja)
The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday said it has uncovered plans by some elements in parts of the country to stage violent protests to discredit the Federal Government and security agencies over sundry socio-economic matters.
Spokesman of DSS, Peter Afunanya, raised the alarm in a statement yesterday.
He, however, said the DSS has identified the ring leaders of the plot.
“The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby informs the public that it has uncovered plans by some elements in parts of the country to stage violent protests to discredit the Federal Government and security agencies over sundry socio-economic matters,” the statement read.
“Intelligence reports have indicated that the plotters include certain politicians who are desperately mobilising unsuspecting student leaders, ethnic-based associations, youth, and disgruntled groups for the planned action.
“Meanwhile, the Service has identified the ring leaders of the plot as well as sustained monitoring around them to deter them from plunging the country into anarchy.”
In light of this development, the secret police instructed tertiary institution heads and vice chancellors of universities to prevent their students from taking part in actions that could disrupt public peace.
The DSS further stated that parents and guardians are required to caution their children and wards to resist the temptation to engage in unlawful behaviour or conduct.
“Also, parents and guardians are enjoined to admonish their children and wards respectively to shun the lure of participating in inimical behaviours or conduct against law and order,” the agency said.
While the DSS is aware of the Government’s efforts and determination to resolve some of the challenges confronting the nation, it warns those desirous of subverting national security to retrace their steps. This is more so that it will not hesitate to legally come against persons and groups behind the devious plan.”
It warned that it won’t hesitate to take legal action against the people and groups responsible for the sneaky schemes.
*NLC adamant, avoid meeting with FG to avert warning strike
Meanwhile, the Federal Government yesterday made desperate efforts to avert the proposed two-day warning strike being organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the worsening economic situation in the country.
Already, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, summoned a meeting involving all relevant stakeholders, including the leadership of NLC, to a negotiation meeting in Abuja.
Briefing journalists in his office, the minister appealed to the Organised Labour to shelve their strike in the interest of Nigerians to allow all stakeholders to work towards an amicable resolution of the contending issues on the ground.
According to Lalong, the NLC has yet to furnish his office with a letter on their proposed action. He said he got to know of their plans only through media reports.
Recall that the NLC after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting last Thursday, threatened to embark on a two-day warning strike on September 5 and 6.
The apex labour union had hinged the proposed action on the excruciating suffering being experienced by Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy, including what it termed undue interference in the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
*Down tool will worsen plight of Nigerians, suspend action, Labour minister pleads
But the labour minister said, “In light of these matters, I would like to reiterate my appeal to the leadership of the NLC to suspend their planned two-day warning strike, and subsequent future actions, and to allow us to work together to amicably resolve these issues, rather than embark on actions that would further worsen the conditions of the citizens of Nigeria.”
Acknowledging workers’ constraints, Lalong said that Mr President had stated several times that he was not unaware that the implementation of these vital but difficult policies comes along with a measure of hardship for every citizen in the country.
He explained that the Federal Government took these decisions now, rather than delay them further and put the nation into more difficulties that might be impossible to reverse.
Lalong also noted that the government has started taking steps to cushion the impact of the removal of fuel subsidies, which are being implemented by the three tiers of government.
He said, “While some of these policies are being planned and fine-tuned, others are being rolled out as palliative measures to bring temporary relief to Nigerians. In the long run, the government of President Tinubu will put in place measures that will empower the people as well as create jobs and prosperity.
“As we continue in this direction, therefore, we must ensure that there is a robust line of communication with Nigerians and, in particular, the organised labour, to forestall a breakdown of industrial peace which would no doubt reverse some of the gains already made.
“In this context, it has become pertinent to appeal to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its intended two-day warning strike, as such an action would be detrimental to the gains already being recorded on our course to securing a greater future for Nigerian workers and citizens at large.”
He added, “I would request that the Comrade Leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress gives this government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground holistically.
“It should be realised that the cabinet of this administration was only recently sworn in by Mr. President, and all cabinet members have hit the ground running by receiving briefings from their MDAs.
“Therefore, the issues raised by the leadership of the NLC are some issues that I and the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment are being briefed upon. In the next few weeks, we intend to address them holistically.
“Consequently, I use this opportunity to reassure Nigerian workers that this government would never take them for granted, nor fail to appreciate their support and understanding. We shall continue to pursue policies aimed at massive employment generation in all sectors of the economy as well as look into immediate challenges that have emerged from the policies of the government.”
Lalong added, “We cannot do this in an atmosphere devoid of industrial peace. At this point, I need to put on record that at this moment, I am yet to receive official communication from the NLC communiqué following its National Executive Council meeting, as required by the law. Like many Nigerians, I and the Hon. Minister of State got the information from media sources.
“I believe my dear comrades will do the needful by following laid down processes for handling such matters since the cabinet is now in place, unlike previously when there was no cabinet on the ground.”
Commenting on the brewing conflict between the Nigeria Police and the leadership of NURTW, he said the matter would be looked into without delay.
According to Lalong, with the subsisting laws of the Federation and International Conventions that Nigeria is party to, “I do not believe that this conflict is insurmountable”.
“Without prejudice to the fact that the Nigeria Police as a frontline internal security agency has its role to play in civil and criminal matters, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has its role to play in resolving industrial relations matters.
“Therefore, we shall engage both parties in dialogue to find the way forward on this problem. I believe that the NURTW, which plays a very critical role in the economy, will always work with not only the police but all other security agencies. This misunderstanding must, therefore, be dealt with immediately”.
On the industrial crisis between the organised labour with Imo and Abia state governments, Lalong said he had been informed that the NLC and these state governments had entered into collective agreements induced by the industrial actions carried out by the leadership of the labour centre in the states earlier in the year.
“I would also appeal for calm on this matter, to allow us to follow the laid down procedures of dispute resolution rather than confrontation, which has not yielded the desired results yet. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect different results,” the minister submitted.
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*Banks to join two-day warning strike
Meanwhile, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), yesterday issued a statement that says all banks will be shut down on Tuesday, 5th (today and Wednesday, 6th, September 2023 (tomorrow).
According to the NUBIFIE statement, the notice is in line with the NLC’s resolution to embark on a two-day strike action, which was made after the National Executive Council meeting (NEC) that happened on Thursday, 31st August 2023.
The statement said, “In line with the communique issued after the meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) held on Thursday, 31st August 2023, all affiliates should direct all its members to commence two days withdrawal of services from Tuesday and Wednesday the 5th and 6th September 2023.
“The directive is imperative to get the needed attention of the government and warn it of its newfound love of meddling in the internal affairs of unions, rather than address the punishing economic circumstances we find ourselves in.
“We hereby direct all our organs to comply with this directive by ensuring all our members stay off duties for the two days.” it read.
The General Secretary of the Union, Mohammed Sheikh, signed the statement.
Also, the NLC has insisted that the warning strike would hold as scheduled without the drama of last-minute suspension.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, had on Sunday said the strike was necessitated as a result of the government’s deliberate neglect and disregard to engage relevant stakeholders through the channel of social dialogue.
He said the Federal Government refused to engage and reach an agreement with Organised Labour on critical issues on the consequences of the hike in prices of petroleum, which has unleashed massive suffering on Nigerian workers and the masses.
The circular on withdrawal of services obtained from affiliates such as the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the National Union of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions (NUBIFIE), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), among others, urged all national, states’ and chapter executives to begin mobilisation in total compliance.
This, they said, is dissuading the government from intimidating tendencies towards the unions, as well as placing measures in place to stop the deterioration of the nation’s economy and the masses’ suffering.
A notice signed by the Secretary-General of MWUN, Erazua Oniha, directed all members in the ports, jetties, and terminals, as well as all oil and gas platforms nationwide to ensure active participation.
*FG-summoned emergency meeting flops
As it is, it is expected that the Federal Government summon to a meeting with the NLC, for negotiation at the Ministry of Labour and Employment headquarters, which the Congress refused to attend, will not help matters
The notice of the meeting was given by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Lalong, during the meeting attended by only the delegation of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria.
The minister also affirmed that the ministry was yet to receive any formal communication from the NLC on the proposed two-day warning strike.
He said that the strike notice came when he was receiving briefings from the various departments in the ministry, adding that he had to suspend the briefings to convene the meeting with the NPC because of the urgency of the issue at hand.
According to him, “In the last two or three days, while we were receiving our briefing from the ministry to set the ball rolling, we were confronted a few days ago with the strike notice.
“Because of the urgency of that strike notice, we quickly summoned a meeting today and we conveyed a notice of this meeting to the NLC. I must apologise too that your meeting came this morning and all of you attended because in the course of some of the issues that were raised, we needed to sort them out and we believe that it was within our capacity to see if we can sort out some of these problems, even today.
“Because we raised our point in our press conference earlier today (yesterday) that yes we just came new on board, receiving our briefing to set the ball rolling but suddenly we are confronted with strike notice so we suspended the briefing to carry on with this headlong because some of the issues are issues that we are already getting briefing from our department.
“So, we thought that by commencing this briefing we will have a headway in solving some of the problems, not always really that we will embark on strike.
“So, just yesterday too we got information that the TUC also met, but when we got the information, we said if that’s the case we will combine the TUC and the NLC so that we see all the issues and if possible treat those issues holistically.
“So, that’s the purpose for this emergency meeting which we convened and I fixed the time for 3 pm so we kept on waiting for the NLC from three o’clock till this time we have not received any information about their attending the meeting but I am happy that the TUC is here.
“So, the purpose of this meeting like I said is to quickly address those issues that were raised and see the possibility of averting this strike action that is scheduled to be embarked upon by tomorrow.
“Although I am sure up to today, we have not received any communication of any strike from the NLC.”
*Civil society leaders tell Tinubu to remove executive corruption, not subsidy
The United Action Front of Civil Society has declared total support for the two-day warning strike declared by the NLC in protest against the untold hardship in the country foisted by the Tinubu Administration through its unilateral and phoney removal of fuel subsidy as well as its concomitant arbitrary hike in the price of premium motor spirit (PMS).
The group said that the warning strike which is slated to begin on Tuesday, September 5, has become highly inevitable, in the light of the emerging realities, which have clearly shown that the government is being deceptive and mercurial with its fuel subsidy removal regime, which has been characterised by flip-flopping and uncertainty.
The group in a statement issued by Wale Okunniyi, Head of the National Coordinating Centre, United Action Front of Civil Society, said, “The leadership of the organised Civil Society, therefore, wishes to unequivocally decry these mindless policies of the Federal Government, which have further pushed millions of households that were hitherto managing to cope with their meagre incomes, below the poverty line.
“Therefore, compelling our patriotic call on Nigerians in the public and private sectors to team up with the NLC in demanding the reversal of the asphyxiating policies being implemented unilaterally without justification or any concrete economic plan beyond making Nigerians pay for the corrupt mismanagement of the subsidy scheme, which incidentally has been admitted by the government itself.
“We also wish to reiterate that the so-called palliatives for the fuel subsidy removal being financed through a world bank loan to be paid back with interest by the Nigerian people, is another device by the ruling class to further fleece the already pauperised masses of the country in continuation of the culture of profligacy through which the Buhari administration plunged Nigeria into debt being serviced by over 90 per cent of the Nation’s revenue.
“Rather than further push Nigeria deeper into bankruptcy; because our Foreign Reserve is currently below $4bn, which marks the worst downturn in the history of the country’s economy, the Tinubu regime should be demanding accountability from those who mismanaged the fuel importation regime and depleted Nigeria’s Foreign Reserve to an abysmal level.
“The Tinubu administration has no reasonable justification for insisting on arbitrary fuel price hike when those who pilfered the national treasury in the name of subsidy payment are walking the streets of Nigeria free; with some of them still calling the shot in the present administration.
“We make bold to challenge the Tinubu government to demand accountability for the fraudulent fuel subsidy payments and wasteful debt servicing policy of the preceding Buhari administration if it genuinely wishes to be taken seriously by Nigerians.”
