LAGOS— AS the 29 affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) gather in Abuja today to discuss last week’s hike in the pump prices of petroleum products, there are indications that they may all declare a nationwide strike same day to render ineffective, moves by the Federal Government to incapacitate organised labour. A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had, last week, declared that the NLC lacked power to call out Nigerians on strike.
However, the Senate has endorsed the new fuel prices, and asked Nigerians to bear with government as it fashions out policies to cushion the effects of deregulation.
Vanguard gathered ahead of today’s meeting that the labour leaders would be considering several options, one of which is all the unions calling a strike same day. Another is for all the affiliates to float a coalition of workers’ unions, declare a strike and ask Mr. Adams Oshiomhole to co-ordinate in his capacity as General Secretary of the National Union of Textiles, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN).
President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Peter Akpatason, speaking on the issue, said: “No law or court can forbid us from protesting injustice or against bad government policy, but if Justice Roseline Ukeje judgement is going to be a brick wall, there are other options. For example, we can decide that all the affiliate unions of NLC should declare a nationwide strike the same day. Nothing says we cannot do that. In fact, it may be a very strong point at Monday’s (today) NEC meeting.”
On his part, President of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), Comrade Moses Gbadebo, said NLC NEC would explore various options to protest the latest assault on the Nigerian people. Comrade Gbadebo who is also the National Trustee of the NLC, said: “We could form a coalition of workers body without mentioning the NLC if need be, to prosecute a strike if we so decide, and ask the NLC president to co-ordinate the strike. We may resolve that all the industrial unions declare a national strike same day and still call on Comrade Oshiomhole to lead the strike as the General Secretary of the Textile Workers Union.”
President of the National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees (NUSDE), Comrade Bright Anokwuro, who is also the National Auditor of the NLC, spoke in the same vein.
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has resolved to join forces with all stakeholders and progressive bodies to protest the recent fuel hike. At an emergency meeting of its NEC, weekend in Lagos, the body called on the government and the National Assembly to rescind the hike and revert to the old prices.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, 2nd deputy president-general of TUC, Comrade G. T. Babalola, said TUC was angered and shocked at the arbitrary increases in the prices of fuel, less than three months after the last hike and said the body was sadden that government had been deceiving Nigerians with the deregulation policy as all the promises of the policy had remained a forlorn hope.
Senate okays hike
Meanwhile, the Senate has endorsed last week’s hike in petroleum product prices and asked citizens to bear with government as it fashions out policies to cushion the effect of the deregulation.
At a joint press conference, weekend in Abuja, Senators Emmanuel Azu Agboti and Abiola Ajumobi, chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the Senate Committee on Downstream Petroleum, hailed government’s initiative as the best for the country even as they admitted that it was going to be burdensome on the populace. Asking the populace to support the government, they challenged government to show its transparency by prosecuting individuals and corporate organisations that received money to rehabilitate the local refineries but failed in their duties.
“Everybody desires deregulation, but as we have always been saying, deregulation of the downstream sector of the economy is desirable, it has so many benefits even though there could be some disadvantages. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. So, we are in full support of the deregulation,” he said as he challenged government to lay the cost structure of petroleum products on the table for everyone to know.
Aligning deregulation to the democratisation of the polity, Senator Ajumobi urged the administration to quickly proffer palliatives to absorb the negative social consequences of the deregulation. “Deregulation to me is democratisation of the oil industry and since we are all talking of democracy, I think it is good for all and sundry. However, we should cushion the effect of the price increases.”If you notice now already, commuter prices have increased by between 50 and 100 per cent. So, how do people with no jobs and no social infrastructure survive in this environment? There is unemployment everywhere, the transportation system is not as good as we want it, these are all the areas we should think about so that we can divert what ever we are able to save from the removal of subsidy and deregulation to the benefit of the people,” he said.
Senator Ajumobi added that using the funds realised from the removal of subsidy to create the correct social economic environment would help quicken the realisation of the government’s goals. “Let us use the money we are getting through removal of subsidy, through deregulation and apply it positively to the benefit of the society. So, we should not be afraid of deregulation.”
Committee chairman, Senator Agboti, asked Nigerians to be patient with government which he claimed, fashioned the deregulation policy in the interest of the populace. “The word we are sending to them is for them to be patient and watch the government. Every government cares for its people, every government in the world cares for its people. We must be patient, we must listen to our government policies, we must follow them and help to actualise them and see what happens to the future.”
Concluding, Senator Ajumobi charged the Federal Government to reveal to all those involved in the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries, saying that the knowledge of this would boost government’s transparency initiative. “If somebody is found wanting, he must be punished accordingly. The fact is that Nigeria spent about $54 million in terms of repairing the refineries. What has happened to them? and those who spent the money, what have we done to them? These are all the issues we must look out in its entirety. There are little, little things that led us to this stage.”
