Politicians have ganged up against workers, masses, NLC rails against subsidy removal

The aftermath of the removal of fuel subsidy continues to reverberate across the country as the Nigeria Labour Congress, for the umpteenth time, accused politicians of unleashing misery on Nigerians.

President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, made this call on Wednesday, during his address at the opening ceremony of a four-day programme for leaders of the state councils of NLC in the south.

He was represented by the Deputy President of Congress and President-General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, in the programme supported by the American Solidarity Centre.

According to Ajaero, “Various governments in Nigeria have mercilessly trampled upon the rights of Nigerians without any feeling of remorse. Politicians have ganged up against the workers and the masses without any consequences.

”It is important to note that governance in Nigeria is always spoken about in paradoxical dimensions.

“Governments are rooted in the lives of the people and thus ought to pursue service to them but in our nation, governance has become an instrument for inflicting pains and suffering on workers and the masses.

”Recently, we are all witnessed the steep heartless hike in the price of PMS by the federal government under the guise of the so-called petroleum subsidy withdrawal without making alternative arrangements to cushion the expected and well-known impact of such unconscionable action.

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“This policy direction ought to have been the product of dialogue amongst stakeholders but was shunned by a democratically elected government which rather believes in machoism that has since left the economy reeling.”

As a result, the labour leader roused all trade unionists to “halt this manifest mischief.”

Ajaero further charged, “As trade union leaders, we must not abandon the people and workers to their fate. We must not leave anything to chance and we must not sit by and watch this rape continue unabated.”

President Bola Tinubu had declared that there would no longer be a petroleum subsidy regime as the current 2023 budget he glimpsed does not contain it.

He stated this in his inaugural address at the Eagle Square, Abuja, on May 29.

The current 2023 budget has provision for the fuel subsidy till June.

The Nigerian government has, for decades, subsidised fuel and fixed retail prices of petroleum products. The payment has, however, threatened the nation’s fiscal position and impacted the government’s ability to fund developmental projects across the nation.

In November 2021, the federal government announced its plan to remove the fuel subsidy and replace it with a monthly N5,000 transport grant for poor Nigerians.

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