4th January, 2012
After an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, in Abuja on Wednesday, the umbrella workers’ bodies directed members and Nigerians from all walks of life, to embark on general strikes, mass rallies and street protests from Monday, 9 January if the Federal Government fails to revert to the old pump price of N65 for the premium motor spirit, PMS.
The workers’ bodies advised Nigerians to stockpile basic needs, especially food and water as all markets, offices, oil production centres, air and sea ports, fuel stations, banks, amongst others will be shut down.
While calling on Nigerians to actively participate in the protest to rescue the nation, the NLC and TUC emphasised that the proposed nationwide protests commencing on Monday will be peaceful and called on the police, armed forces and other security agencies to reject orders that they turn their weapons on fellow Nigerians and warned that anybody who does so, will be individually brought to justice.
The primary objective of the patriotic call and movement, the workers’ bodies noted, is to revert the price of fuel to N65, restore normalcy and reclaim Nigeria for Nigerians.
They noted that there was a subsisting understanding between NLC and the Federal Government in 2009 that removal of subsidy will not commence until certain conditions have been met.
These conditions include the fixing of all the refineries and building new ones, regular supply of electricity, provision of other social infrastructure such as railways and repair of roads as well as eliminating the corruption associated with supply and distribution of petroleum products in the downstream sector of the oil industry.
In a chat with P.M.NEWS after reading the joint communique of the two umbrella workers’ body, the NLC President, Abdulwahed Omar stated that labour will not meet with the Justice Belgore panel set up by the Federal Government over the deregulation exercise.
According to Omar, “what is there to discuss with the committee? Government must revert to the old price of N65 for fuel before any form of dialogue can take place, outside that, there is no need for any committee as no discussion can take place”.
—Nnamdi Felix / Abuja