Labour, Civil Society Reject Palliative Committee
Oshiomhole: We 're on course
By Chris Nwachuku and Francis Onwudo
Organised Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and Lagos Lawyer Chief Gani Fawehinmi have rejected the palliative committee set up by President Olusegun Obasanjo to work out modalities to cushion the effect of recent price hike.
But Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Adams Oshiomhole said there is no cause for alarm as the position of the coalition has not been compromised by his membership of the committee.
He said "Our strategy which we explained at the inanugural meeting which the committee unanimously accepted is that the terms of reference should be broadened to include the issue of price reversal. The chairman was mandated to secure this addition from the president, but if he fails by the next meeting then we will withdraw"
He said the long term effect would come up after the question of price reversal is settled, to aviod a vicious circle of regular hike as a result of prices in the international market.
He assured Nigerians that the mode of prosecuting the strike has not changed, just as the labour and civil society demand, noting that the modalities for the second phase of the mass action will be worked out after tomorrow if the major demand of reverting to pre-September 23 rate is not addressed.
However, LASCO said the committee is not only diversionary but does not address the fundamental demands of Nigerian people which informed the current 4 day nationwide strike and stay -at -home protest.
"We consider this committee as diversionary, as it does not address the cardinal demand of the Nigerian people, namely the unconditional reversal of the recent increase in fuel prices. Labour and civil Society Coalition (LASCO) will therefore have nothing to do with such a committee and our members will hencefort not take part on it," said LASCO National Chairman, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti.
Federal Government had few hours after the commencement of the nationwide strike on Monday inaugurated a 33-man committee headed by Deputy Senate President Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu. The committee is to collate and harmonise measures, according to Obasanjo, to bring about short term relief and medium term positive impact on the effect of high fuel prices.
Among labour representatives on the committee are NLC President Adams Oshiomhole, General Secretary, Amalgamated Union Ejiofor and some civil society group members.
LASCO spearheading the current strike comprises NLC, Congress of Free Trade Unions, Trade Union Congress and ah amalgamation of over 35 civil society groups.
The coalition, according to Ransome-Kuti cannot accept a palliative measure for a price increase that has been rejected by Nigeian people, noting that the issue at stake has nothing to do with cushioning the harsh effects of the new price regime.
Said Ransome Kuti "In setting up the committee, the government is labouring under the illusion that the price increase and the polices of deregulation and privatiseation, which underpin them, have come to stay. We reject this assumption as fundamentally flawed. We reject the price increases and the anti-people IMF/World Bank - dictated polices from which they flow."
LASCO reaffirmed its commitment to finding a lasting solution to fuel related crises, but affirmed that even if a committee is to be constituted the terms of reference and composition must be democratically determined.
It described as unacceptable the manner in which government handpicks membership of the committee, while demands of the people are ignored.
Ransome Kuti reinstated the demands of the people to include reversal of fuel price, repairs of refinaries, and and end to importation of petroleum products.
On his part, Fawehinmi said: "No self respecting and perceptive labour union or human rights community will accept this crude move by Olusegun Obasanjo. The move is ineffectively meaningless and irrelevant to the central issue, which is that, "Obasanjo government must revert to the old prices."
He said the committee is not bothered about this demand, "That is not the language in this strike. the strike is about high petroleum products prices not about the effects of the high prices. Therefore the committee is irrelevant to this strike and it must be rejected."
The social crusader noted that Obasanjo is noted for setting up series of spurious probing committees or commissions without their reports publicity published or implemented.
Citing example with the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Fawehinmi said Obasanjo had never allowed the board to meet to approve or reject proposed price increase.
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