NLC begins 2-day strike, insists N5bn palliative not enough

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has initiated a two-day warning strike to protest the Federal Government’s handling of the challenges resulting from the removal of fuel subsidies. This move follows NLC President Joe Ajaero’s announcement last Friday. In his inaugural speech on May 29, President Bola Tinubu declared the end of fuel subsidies, triggering a significant surge in fuel prices nationwide and an increase in the cost of living. The NLC accuses the Federal Government of abandoning negotiations and failing to implement resolutions from previous meetings. On August 2, the organized labour staged protests against what they deemed “anti-people policies” by President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and affiliated unions demonstrated in several states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), demanding the reversal of anti-poor policies, the release of withheld university lecturers’ and workers’ salaries, and an increase in the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000. Despite numerous meetings between the Presidency and the unions regarding palliatives for Nigerians affected by the petrol subsidy removal, no agreement was reached. Last month, NLC President Joe Ajaero argued that the N5 billion allocated to each state and the FCT to mitigate the impact of the subsidy removal was grossly insufficient to alleviate the suffering of the people. Ajaero explained that when calculated, the N5 billion would amount to less than N1,500 per person, raising questions about whether the funds were intended as loans or palliatives to the states or citizens. “The first increase in the pump price of petroleum products and the last one moved a lot of people from the borderline to a very high level of poverty,” he said. “Now, if you calculate it, you will discover that this will not translate to N1,500 per person and you ask: is that the impact? Is that really what we want to achieve? Let’s assume it’s a loan. What is really going to happen? Is it garbage in, garbage out? “If it is N5 billion, I think organised labour would want anybody to do the calculation and tell us how it is going to impact Nigerians on what is happening currently. If it is a loan, then it is too bad,” Ajaero argued. He highlighted the profound impact of recent fuel price increases on poverty levels, emphasizing that the proposed financial relief appeared inadequate. Organized labour has continued to call for transparency concerning the N5 billion allocated whilst questioning its effectiveness in addressing the ongoing economic challenges triggered by the subsidy removal.

N5bn Palliative: FCT to boost transportation, food –Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCTA is considering transportation and food supplies support with the N5 billion palliative received from the Federal Government. Wike stated this in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with contractors handling different projects in the FCT. The Federal Government had on Aug. 17 announced a N5 billion palliative for each state of the federation, including the FCT, to cushion the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy. Some of the state governments have confirmed receiving N2 billion from the amount, while awaiting the N3 billion balance. However, the minister said that the FCT was not included in the N5 billion palliative until he wrote a memo informing President Bola Tinubu of the development. He added that Tinubu has approved the amount, adding that other states have received N2 billion already, expressing confidence that the FCT will equally receive soon. “But we are yet to decide on what to do with the N2 billion palliative. We have not chosen any area yet. “Are we going to concentrate on food, but we are thinking that the issue of transportation is very very important, particularly the urban mass transit. “People would like to have easy transportation to go to where they want to go, and if you give them rice and they eat the rice today, what about transportation tomorrow? “So, we have not come up with what actually we are going to use the money for, but I believe food support and transportation is very key,” he said. The minister added that efforts were ongoing to bring back urban mass transportation to be able to reduce the suffering of the masses in terms of transportation.