…Police ordered watertight security
The much anticipated Labour Protests will start today across the country as part of the efforts to make the Federal Government reverse its decision on the removal of subsidy.
The parties involved have not been able to find common ground despite engaging themselves in a series of meetings for two consecutive days.
The two-day meeting between the Federal Government and the organised labour ended in a deadlock on Tuesday, and the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress leaders have vowed to go ahead with the nationwide protest vowing against the removal of fuel subsidy.
The planned protest by organised labour slated for Wednesday (today) over the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government may shut down the country and paralyse the economy.
Speaking on the planned strike on Tuesday, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the organised labour had no reason to suspend the planned national protests and strike.
Ajaero spoke a few hours after another round of meetings of the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives held at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, deadlocked.
“We have no reason to call off the planned protests. If we suspend or call it off, you will know. I can tell you that the mobilisation is very high,” Ajaero said in response to questions from journalists.
The Federal Government had in a last-ditch effort to avert the strike met with the NLC and TUC leaders on Monday but the parley also failed to reach any resolution.
In an effort to foster negotiations, the government set up a committee to look into the demands of the labour unions for a 300 percent wage increase to enable workers to cope with the challenges imposed by the deteriorating economic situation that came with the removal of the controversial fuel subsidy, among other things.
Though the committee was given a total of eight weeks to come up with a suitable plan for workers and Nigerians at large, the labour leaders insisted that the committee has continued to show a lack of commitment towards their shared goal.
An earlier move by the labour leaders to embark on strike was stopped by a court order obtained by the government.
Speaking earlier after the meeting with FG officials, the NLC Secretary-General, Emmanuel Ugboaja, hinted that the congress would consider the government’s appeal for a peaceful resolution.
But he was countered by the Deputy Vice-President of the NLC, Titus Amba, who said there was no new development following the national broadcast made by the President, Bola Tinubu, on Monday evening.
PresidentTinubu had disclosed plans to increase salaries and acquire 3,000 CNG-powered mass transit buses for all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He also unveiled an N500bn palliative which he said would be shared to manufacturers, small businesses, and farmers.
However, the Assistant National Secretary of NLC, Mr. Chris Onyeka, on Tuesday stated that the protest was irreversible despite the appeal by the government.
The NLC in a statement signed by Ajaero on Tuesday night asked Nigerians to ignore news about a possible suspension of its planned nationwide strike.
The terse statement which was posted on its official Twitter handle, @NLCheadquarters read, “Ignore fake rumors, NLC is never divided. We are one united and strong labour centre. The protest rally holds tomorrow(Wednesday) nationwide.”
Festus Osifo, the TUC President Addressed journalists shortly after the meeting with the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives and described the palliatives rolled out by the President as “grossly insufficient.”
He said: “About the protests, yes, the government also appealed that we should shelve the protests. Our response was that we are going this evening to have a conversation around that. And you will hear from us at the end of that meeting.’’
Osifo who represented the organised labour maintained that the 3,000 buses were insufficient to serve the country.
“We think, for example, 3,000 bosses are not sufficient. By the time you divide 3000 by 37, you can see how many they can come up to. So, it’s not sufficient, grossly inadequate.
“Then, we also think that some of the measures put on the table are not far-reaching. So, we are also going to demand for what we think will do so if we think 30,000 buses could do it; 40,000 buses could do it immediately. Yes, we’ll push it forward,’’ he added.
He stated that though the labour unions are pushing for the adoption of a minimum wage to match the economic realities of post-petrol subsidy, that goal appears far away due to the bureaucracies involved and the current absence of a subcommittee.
“In the interim, the organised labour is pushing for wage awards which are implementable immediately.”
“On our part, what we are demanding is wage award. So wage award, like for example, you’ve heard some states that have said, ‘we’re paying N40,000 minimum,’ so it’s more or less they are giving it. It is not the law. They are doing above the minimum wage.
“So for us we felt that the Federal Government could do, on their own, so much above the minimum wage, without much conversation, because the committee on the minimum wage has not been constituted. We want to be very clear on that. That committee has not been constituted.”
The Federal Government in its response to the whole situation amd what transpired at the meeting with the organized labour, said it told the unions that President Tinubu’s rollout was only a start of more to follow.
The President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the FG informed the organised labour that : “Basically, we laid out a plan for the intervention of Mr President. As you all heard in his broadcast yesterday (Monday), we made it clear that this is just Mr President’s initial rollout of the interventions. These conversations will be ongoing.
“We appealed to labour on the protest of tomorrow. We found listening ears here and they did agree that they all accepted that Mr President’s broadcast was a welcome development and that they’ll go back home to talk to the other leaders that are not present here today. So, we’re hopeful that they’ll arrive at a good deal and call off the strike tomorrow,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the NLC has criticised Tinubu’s declaration in his broadcast that the review of the minimum wage was imminent.
The congress in a statement on Monday night noted that it was open knowledge that the review of minimum wage would commence in 2024 as stipulated by law.
It stated that the Tinubu administration had failed to show cooperation and dialogue with members of the organised labour.
The statement signed by the NLC president read partly, “Labour is disturbed that while President Tinubu in his speech lavishly praised the private sector for quickly dispensing wage award to their employees, the Federal Government has failed to do the same for public workers in its employment. This is a clear case of failing woefully to live up to the standards it has set for others to meet.
“It is open knowledge that the review of the national minimum wage is a matter of the law which is expected to happen in 2024. How would Nigerian workers cope with the current reality of hyperinflation and suffering unleashed by the hasty removal of the so-called petrol subsidy till 2024 when the national minimum wage would be reviewed? This is incredible!”
Speaking further on the negotiations so far, Ajaero said, “Organised Labour has been forced to negotiate with empty chairs on the Federal Government’s side as the Federal Government has not matched its public promises with firm commitment to negotiate in good faith with labour. As a matter of fact, the sub-committee on wage award has not been inaugurated and has not met.”
The main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in its reaction to this development, described the President’s Monday address as ‘’a horrifying reminder of similar promises made by (former president) Muhammadu Buhari which were left unfulfilled.’’
The party added that the broadcast was a huge disappointment even for the supporters of the administration, ‘’many of whom are finding it difficult to cope with the hardship occasioned by the removal of petroleum subsidy.’’
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, said Tinubu’s promises were only aspirational, stressing that the management of subsidy removal is beyond the present administration.
“The speech shows the cluelessness of the APC. They should know that Nigerians have never had it so bad. If this whole thing is well managed, PMS should not sell above N150 per litre,” he said.
Despite the hardship being experienced by the Nigerians over the removal of the fuel subsidy, the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in South-West, Bisi Olopoeyan, urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the current administration.
Olopoeyan, who was reacting to Tinubu’s live broadcast of Monday, in an interview with journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said, “I also feel the heat, not just feel like that, I am feeling it very seriously. I spent over N60,000 on fuel from Ibadan to Lagos alone. I wouldn’t have even tried it if not for a business trip.
“Now look at the downtrodden market men and women, traders and the likes. So, the increment of workers’ salaries cannot help the situation. The palliatives cannot save it. The Federal Government should bring down the price of petrol. We should stop deceiving ourselves. The only immediate solution is for the price of petroleum to come down,’’ he insisted.
Also, the Maritime workers, in furtherance of the directives issued by the organised labour, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria has directed its members in all ports, jetties terminals, as well as oil and gas platforms nationwide to commence immediate and total mobilisation for the protest.
The union announced this in a memo titled, ‘Notice of mobilsation for nationwide mass protest and rally against fuel price increase,’ issued by the Secretary-General, Erazua Oniha.
The memo read in part, “I bring to you fraternal greetings from the Central Working Committee of our union, MWUN. We are in notice of the decision of the meeting of the Central Working Committee of the NLC held on Thursday 27th July 2023 directing all NLC affiliates to mobilize and sensitise their members in preparation for a nationwide peaceful mass protest and rally scheduled to kick start on Wednesday, 2nd August 2023.”
The union said that the decision was reached following the government’s alleged insensitivity in addressing the high cost of living.
“This decision was reached in the face of the Federal Government’s seeming insensitivity to the need to urgently put the necessary instruments in place to cushion the escalating cost of living to which the Nigerian working class and citizens are daily subjected without respite in sight due to removal of fuel subsidy from the price of Premium Motor Spirit.
“Consequent to the foregoing, all our members in all ports, jetties terminals, and oil and gas platforms nationwide most especially, all districts and units are by this notice directed to commence immediate and total mobilization of our members to effectively ensure their participation in the nationwide peaceful mass protest and rally from Wednesday 2nd August as directed,” the memo concluded.
In the meantime, the acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has ordered watertight security nationwide.
The Force Headquarters on Tuesday said the IG was deeply concerned about recent developments regarding the planned nationwide protests by the labour unions.
“While being mindful of the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in our constitution, the IG urges all parties involved to ensure that the planned demonstrations are conducted in a peaceful manner to prevent being hijacked by miscreants, owing to the previous ugly experiences of such protests in most major cosmopolitan cities in the country.
“The IG, however, acknowledges the grievances raised by the labour unions and the importance of constructive dialogue, which is sine qua non in addressing these issues,” the police spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said in a statement.
The police boss also urged all stakeholders, including the NLC, TUC, and other civil society groups, to embrace peaceful dialogue as “the most effective means of resolving grievances,” while also re-emphasising that the police were committed to ensuring a secure and conducive environment for open dialogue, constructive engagement and mutual understanding for a seamless exercise of civil rights.
Adejobi further noted that the IG had also ordered the Commissioners of Police in charge of various commands, and supervisory Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to engage in fruitful discussions with the NLC and TUC leadership to foster understanding and reach common grounds on the planned protests.
He noted, “A peaceful and coordinated approach is crucial to achieving meaningful solutions and preventing any form of violence or disruptions to public order, should the protests persist.
“The Nigeria Police Force reiterates its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens during the period of the planned protests as all necessary measures to facilitate the peaceful conduct of these demonstrations have been emplaced.”
Warning against violence, the NPF said it would not tolerate any act that threatens the peace and well-being of the country, adding that perpetrators will be dealt with.
Adejobi added, “However, it is hereby reaffirmed that any attempt by miscreants to exploit the situation for violent purposes viz-a-viz vandalism, gangsterism, and extortion will be met with firm, professional and commensurate lawful approach. The police will not tolerate any act that threatens the peace and well-being of our country.
“In light of the potential challenges posed by the planned protests, the Nigeria Police Force is fully prepared to deploy all available resources to maintain law and order and to protect the lives and property of our citizens. The IGP therefore calls on all officers to be vigilant, professional, and uphold the highest standards of conduct during this period.”