Fuel subsidy: Nigerian govt, labour set up committees to work out palliatives

The Federal Government and organized Labour on Monday set up committees to work out measures aimed at cushioning the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.

The Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy to the president, Dele Alake, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the steering and technical committees were set up to help achieve the planned interventions for Nigerians.

The federal government was represented at the meeting by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Melee Kyari, the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, Zaccheus Adedeji, his Energy counterpart, Olu Verheijen, and the presidential spokesman, Dele Alake.

Also at the meeting were the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachallom Daju, and the CEO of Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, led other labour leaders to the meeting.

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Alake said: “As we promised the last time we met; when labour called off their planned strike, we held a meeting today. We went through all the demands that labour had tabled during the last meeting with the government.

“They said they were going to go back to their executives and make consultations so that we reconvene today. That is exactly what we did.

“At today’s meeting, both parties went through the list and we ticked off the viable ones which are now broken into three categories; those that can be given immediate attention, and those that can be achieved in the medium term and long term.

“Work groups were constituted at today’s meeting. There is a steering committee that will serve as a clearing house and there are other committees comprising both parties, government and labour.

“They will work together very harmoniously and efficiently to arrive at the final resolution of all the demands of labour and what we (government) call interventions.”

Ajero and Osifo also confirmed the setting up of the committees.

The duo assured Nigerians that the committees would commence work immediately and complete their assignments within eight weeks.

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