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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Ahead of the planned strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over the removal of fuel subsidy, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Oba Maduabuchi, has warned the pressure group to stop playing with the emotions and sensitives of Nigerians and to give the President Bola Tinubu’s administration time to address the nation’s economic problems.
The senior lawyer who equally accused the NLC of playing to the gallery said the decision to embark on strike in the middle of ongoing discussions with the Committee set up by the Federal on the issue was in bad faith and uncharitable.
Maduabuchi rather appealed that the NLC should give President Bola Tinubu, whose administration is barely two months in office time to address the issue for the overall interest of the country.
NLC gave the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to reverse all perceived anti-poor policies, including the recent hike in the pump price of petrol, or face an indefinite nationwide strike from August.
Already, the National Industrial Court has made an order restraining the NLC from proceeding with its planned strike.
Relying on the above court order, the Federal Government through the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Beatrice Jeddy-Agba had warned the NLC against the action as doing otherwise would amount to contempt of court.
Maduabuchi who spoke with Daily Sun in Abuja accused the leadership of the NLC of contributing to the economic woes of the country which the present administration wants to address through the removal of subsidy.
“It looks very uncharitable of the NLC to begin to threaten strikes on two occasions within two months of the present administration. Don’t forget that President Tinubu only took office on May 29. I think that is very wrong. They have not given him a chance to perform or to promise them anything and fails.
“A committee set up by the Federal Government is still there discussing with labour and the NLC is threatening fire and brainstorming that it wants to go on strike on August 2, because there are no palliative.
“If the federal government, was so comfortable that it has so much money to provide palliative for Nigerians, nobody would have thought of removing the subsidy. It is because the money meant for providing what is called palliatives is not there that is why the Federal Government is constrained to remove subsidies so that the money realized from it would be used to provide basic things of life to citizens.
“NLC should stop playing to the gallery and to the emotions and sensitives of the public. We all have suffered enough under the subsidy regime and we are all entitled to the basic things of life in terms of good roads, transportation systems and other infrastructural facilities that will better our lives.
“Now the NLC is talking of palliatives in terms of transportation of workers to and from their places of work. The question now is where are the buses given to them by the Federal government under the Mass transit scheme? The NLC was given buses in 100s, where are the buses today? The same NLC mismanaged them, and share the money among themselves and today all the mass transit buses are grounded.
“If Labour wants palliatives in terms of transportation, let it go and repair their buses and put them on the roads to transport members to work. They have money and cannot keep holding Nigerians to ransom.”
Maduachi further asked the leadership of the NLC to explain to Nigerians why its members could not fix the refineries and make them work.
“Are members of NUPENG not under the NLC? Former President Olusegun Obasanjo regretted introducing subsidies. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua wanted to remove it, but unfortunately, he died quickly. Also, former President Goodluck Jonathan wanted to remove it but could not. President Muhammadu Buhari wanted to remove it but was advised that it will cost the All Progressives Congress(APC) the election. Now the only man that has the courage and political will to do what four presidents failed to do has done so, then the NLC wants him to fail by trying to paint him in a bad light before Nigerians,” Maduabuchi noted.
Meanwhile, the senior lawyer has hailed the ministerial list released by President Tinubu saying it comprised names of achievers in the persons of the three former governors of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, Ebonyi, David Umahi and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna States.
