The coalition of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Groups (LASCO), yesterday advised Nigerians to stock enough food ahead of the October 11 nation-wide strike against fuel price hike by the federal government should the ongoing dialogue fail.
Speaking at a symposium organised by the group titled: “Obasanjo’s Anti-people Policies: Time to fight Back,” held at the Lagos NLC secretariat, Yaba, the acting chairman of the coalition, Dr Beko Ransome Kuti, called on Nigerians to observe the strike and other forms of civil disobedience.
Correspondent Samson Ojo said this came at the height of a deadlock in the government, labour talks over the situation.
Dr Beko urged Nigerians to stay away from offices and work places, lock their shops, markets and petrol stations and keep their vehicles off the roads.
Also speaking at the crowded symposium were leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress who explained that the protest against the recent fuel price hike has become imperative because Nigerians deserve leaders that are sensitive to their wishes and aspirations, not those that dictate selfish interests.
A member of the NLC central working committee (CWC), Comrade Sylvester Ejiofor, in his address condemned President Olusegun Obasanjo for gross incompetence in leadership.
Said he: “We demand that the Obasanjo government should follow the honourable path and resign.”
Enumerating the coalition’s demands, the execu-tive director of the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), Chima Ubani, stated that no amount of intimidation from government will sway or force the coalition to change its stand over the proposed nationwide protest unless government reverts to the old prices of petroleum products of N42 per litre and repair the nation’s refineries to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
The stakeholders mee-ting organised for the oil and gas sectors of the Nigerian economy by the federal mini-stry of labour and productivity deadlocked in Abuja, Wednesday, as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), insisted that the absence of top government functio-naries at the meeting meant that government was making mockery of Nigerians.
The NLC president, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, described the meeting, presided over by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, as appearing to be busy yet with no intention to address the issue.
“It pains that you appreciate that the Nigerian people are expecting the outcome of this meeting and yet we are presiding over what is clearly not meant to be. When we talk of dialogue, we mean constructive dialogue. But the truth of the matter is that this government does not believe in dialogue and the public is entitled to know this,” he added.
Also in Ilorin, Abdul-razaq Adebayo reports that labour leaders and stake-holders in Kwara State rose from a meeting in Ilorin yesterday with a resolve to mobilise the people for the October 11, planned strike over the recent increase in the prices of petroleum prod-ucts.
State chairman of the NLC, Comrade Emmanuel Ayeoribe, said the meeting condemned in strong terms, the anti people stance of the present government under the leadership of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
He enjoined the people of the state to resist all forms of intimidation, deceit and hara-ssment that could prevent them from partaking in the strike.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in Cross River State has declared a “total mobilisation and complete sit-at-home strike and protest “over the fuel price hike.
According to correspondent, Bassey Ita, the state chapter of the NLC led by it’s chairman, Comrade Charles E. Bassey, rose from a one day congress of about 26 unions declaring that its deci-sion to embark on the strike action was total as it was in tune with the directives of the national secretariat of the NLC.
Also yesterday, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), has directed its mem-bers to stay at home on Oct. 11 in a show of solidarity with the civil society groups and organised labour.
The groups and orga-nised labour plan a sit-at-home strike to protest the Sept. 23 hike in the prices of petroleum products.
In a statement signed by Mr John Kolawole, TUC’s secretary-general, the union said after an emergency meeting of its Central Working Committee (CWC), “members should prepare for a long battle”.
“The Nigerian political class must use government resources to cushion the harsh effects of market forces on prices,” it added.
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), also yesterday in Abuja confirmed readiness to participate in the impending labour strike slated for Oct. 11.
NURTW president Gidado Hamman, who stated this in an interview with newsmen, said. “No one should underrate us. I assure all that come Oct. 11, our vehicles will be off the roads. “After all, whenever there is a hike in fuel prices, we are always the first at the receiving end,” Hamman said.
Meanwhile, Labour and Productivity Minister, Has-san Lawal, said that govern-ment will ensure that the strike does not hold.
Lawal gave the assurance when members of the House Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity visited him yesterday in Abuja. “We are adopting a new strategy of dialogue to forestall the strike”.
Lawal commended members of the House for their intervention on the planned strike, noting that they acted as leaders and true representatives of the people.
However, the Manuf-acturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in a letter to the NLC president said it has written President Olusegun Obasanjo on the issue. In the letter, MAN has suggested the convocation of a stake-holders meeting to discuss the lingering problem.
“We have also proffered other suggestions that we believe will usher a lasting solution to the problem of frequent increases in petroleum products. We are willing to outline our ideas in detail to you,” MAN president, Charles C. Ugwuh said.
Meanwhile, Hammeed M. Bello reports that the NLC president, Adams Oshi-omhole and the group mana-ging director of the NNPC, Engineer Funso Kupolokun, yesterday disagreed sharply as to whether or not gover-nment should continue to subsidise petroleum prod-ucts for Nigerians.
This came just as the deputy Speaker of the House, Hon Austin Opara, chall-enged the meeting between the House and stakeholders to determine whether or not the deregulation policy of the down stream sector of the oil industry is truly in operation, to which Oshio-mhole responded, saying that government’s claims of implementing the policy was a ruse because contrary to claims, the NNPC is the only importer of refined products.
The House had at its sitting of Wednesday, pas-sed Resolution 22, calling on government to revert to the former prices of petroleum products and urged the NLC to call off its proposed strike fixed for October11. It also set up the ad-hoc committee on appropriate pricing of petroleum products to meet with all stakeholders to find both short and long term solutions to perennial fuel price increases and strikes.
The all stakeholders meeting which opened yeste-rday at the National Assembly was attended by the Speaker, Aminu Bello Masari, his deputy, Austin Opara, leadership of the NNPC, NLC, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), marketers and other civil society organis-ations.
Kupolokun at the mee-ting claimed that it would be unwise for the country to continue to subsidise petroleum products because it violates the deregulation policy, adding that no cou-ntry in the world subsidises fuel for local consumption. However, Oshiomhole responded that deregulation is not in practice in the country and that every country in the world offers one form of subsidy to its people. The US, which is the most powerful capitalist country in the world with a high Gross Domestic Product (GDP), he said, spends about 360 billion dollars annually on subsidy to very rich American farm-ers. This translates to one billion dollars a day.
Engineer Kupolakun in his opening remarks, told the meeting that the increase in fuel prices was not targeted at the poor because it is the rich that bears the burden, adding however that the nation spends N350 million daily to subsidise fuel which he said portends great danger for the continued existence of the corporation.
He said if subsidy is not stopped, the NNPC might not be able to pay salaries and suggested that two options available is either that the products are subsidised and the country risks scarcity, adulteration and diversion of products or create a level playing ground by selling fuel locally at the same price as obtains internationally.
Kupolokun also faulted the suggestion from some quarters for the money realised from sale of excess crude oil to be channelled to subsidy of petroleum products.
Responding, Adams Oshiomhole acknowledged that the intervention by the House was an indication that the nation has not completely slided into dictatorship and reaffirmed the objection of the NLC to the exploitation of Nigerian workers through arbitrary increases in fuel prices.
He said the claims to deregulation is faulty because importation of fuel is 100 percent by NNPC, adding that while Nigeria is make billions from excess crude sale, the citizens have been subjected to suffering and poverty.
Declaring the meeting open, Hon Austin Opara reaffirmed that there is no nation that does not subsidise one thing or the other to its citizens.
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