Representatives of the federal government are expected to meet with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) today over the planned removal of petrol subsidy.
Joe Ajaero, NLC national president, disclosed this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, on Wednesday.
He said the meeting will hold by 2 pm today.
“Government seems to have shown interest in discussion. As at last night, they reached out and we have fixed 2pm today to commence discussions,” Ajaero said.
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“There, all these other issues will be discussed because you cannot just say ‘no subsidy’ and then, you are not producing and you leave us to the fabrics of the market.”
Ajaero said the position of the NLC has always been clear that if President Bola Tinubu has good intentions, alternatives must be provided.
He said Tinubu should have asked questions and investigated the effects of the reduction of petrol subsidy on Nigerians.
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Among the solutions suggested by the NLC boss were the rehabilitation of the country’s four refineries and the provision of alternative transportation for Nigerian workers.
“The pronouncement by Mr. President is as good as law and if in the process we make a law that is not practicable, the same people that made the law can look at it,” Ajaero said.
“Does it bring pleasure to us to say subsidy is gone and people start suffering? Is it not part of leadership for us to look at how the suffering of the people can be reduced?”
While access to petrol became difficult following the presidential declaration on subsidy; Tinubu’s media team said the president’s statement was not a new development but a restatement of the federal government’s intention to end subsidy by June.
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