There are indications that Organised Labour and the Federal Government are set to clash on the provision of palliatives to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
The removal of fuel subsidy has brought untold hardships on Nigerians as prices of food items have skyrocketed thereby causing outcry among the citizenry.
Following the development, President Bola Tinubu yesterday met with Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and some members of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to finalise arrangements on the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
But NLC in a statement on Tuesday by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said, “NLC would not want to continue to be part of the usual charade of Committees with outcomes that are never implemented.
“We would not want to waste the time of Nigerians especially workers on Committees that have already been programmed to fail and thus ignored. We do not want to provide a cover for the government to get away with the hardship it has imposed on the people. We do not want to legitimise impunity.
“As a result, if the government does not want to stop these fortuitous actions that it is pursuing in the name of palliatives, we will be forced to constructively review our engagement with the government on this vexatious issue and take matters into our own hands.”
However, worried over the economic hardship the subsidy removal on petrol has caused to Nigerians, Tinubu met with Shettima, Akpabio, and some governors, including those of Imo, Kwara, Lagos, and Ogun.
A former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, was also part of the meeting.
Presidential Adviser on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, Dele Alake, explained that the meeting also looked at how to finalise arrangements for the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
The presidency had earlier proposed the distribution of grains and fertilisers to farmers also as part of measures to boost food security in the country.
*FG set to review workers’ salary, says Akpabio
Meanwhile, at a separate meeting, Akpabio assured Nigerian workers of the readiness of the government to review the salaries of its workers as a move towards cushioning the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.
The President of the Senate, gave the assurance while receiving in courtesy, the Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji, and members of the National Assembly from the state.
Akpabio also noted that the removal of fuel subsidy by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration was to address corruption in the Petroleum sector. He said the removal of fuel subsidy was the beginning of fighting corruption in the system.
According to Akpabio, “Nigeria as a country would not have survived the next few years if the fuel subsidy had not been removed, adding, salaries and wages of workers would be reviewed to ensure that Nigerians have a living wage.”
Speaking further, Akpabio told the governor that “the Senate is very proud of your representatives in the 10th National Assembly. They are committed and dedicated members of the legislature and that means the people of Ekiti, the “land of knowledge” have a lot to offer this country particularly, the Senate. We will work with Ekiti State for the overall benefit of Nigerians”, he declared
Earlier, the Ekiti State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, commended the President of the Senate for his achievements in office in the last month. He declared the total support of the people and government to the success of his tenure as the President of the 10th Senate and their readiness to partner with the legislature to move the country forward.
