• Subsidy removal, other policies yielding positive results –Tinubu

 

By Bimbola Oyesola and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Adanna Nnamani, Abuja 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, reaffirmed its readiness to occupy streets of the country Wednesday to protest the fuel subsidy removal by President Bola Tinubu, insisting that nobody or any court injunction can stop it.

Labour had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government on July 26 to rescind all anti-people policies or it would launch a nationwide action to protest the hardship occasioned by the sudden removal of subsidy on petrol and the floating of the naira in the market without any palliatives for citizens.

Yesterday, the NLC confirmed that it had intensified mobilisation for nationwide rally following failure of government to respond to its demands. The NLC alleged lack of commitment on the part of the government to uphold the terms of agreements made with it during dialogues to ease the hardships experienced by Nigerians as a result of the removal of the petrol subsidy.

It called on Nigerians to come out en-mass to resist the anti-people policies saying the recent increase in fuel price due to the removal on subsidy had worsened inflation, poverty, unemployment and criminality while the N8,000 palliative to household amounts to an insult.

This is as it replied Federal Government on contempt of court charge over the planned protest, saying it was a right conferred on citizens as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who spoke with Daily Sun said the protest would go ahead as scheduled. He, however, said labour would continue to honour meetings with government on the issue.

A statement by the NLC secretariat said core labour leaders in the Central Working Committee (CWC) were already in Abuja ahead of Wednesday for full mobilisation of workers in the Federal Territory, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt zones.

“More leaders are coming in to ensure the protest is a success. Others have been dispatched to Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt to ensure that all workers across the states are fully mobilized for Wednesday,” the NLC said.

Speaking in a telephone interview, NLC Deputy General Secretary, Ismail Bello, said Lagos protest would be coordinated by Deputy President, Adewale Adeyanju and Goke Olatunji.

He said the NLC needed to make statement with Wednesday’s protest that Nigerians could no longer be taken for granted by those in government.

He said states under Lagos zone would hold a meeting today to harness their thoughts and programmes that would engage all workers and the masses to participate in the nationwide protest. 

“The NLC NEC has ratified the protest and that means we have to step up preparation to ensure the protest is a success. This government has to honour agreement, it is not about promising and no fulfilment and coming up with more policies that continue to push people into poverty,” he said.

NLC spokesperson, Mr. Benson Upah, told Daily Sun that all was set to carry out the nationwide protest and that no court injunction can stop it. “Any court order that operates against the constitution, automatically becomes a nullity. Any court order that runs contrary to the provisions of the constitution is illegal. We are going on a peaceful protest and it is important to explain this. We are not striking; you know there is a difference between a strike action and a protest.”   

He said the right to peaceful protest was enshrined in the 1999 constitution, in the African Charter on Fundamental Human Rights as well as the Labour Laws

Upah said the initial issue for which the NLC threatened strike was the increase from N190 to N530 per litre, but, that  the matter for which it would be protesting is the increase from N530 to over N600, which the court order did not cover. 

“You know the government and the NNPC did not announce that price. They said market forces. So we are protesting against market forces,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the NLC has reacted to a contempt of court order served on it. In a letter dated July 28, addressed to the Permanent Secretary/ Solicitor-General, Federal Ministry of Justice, Maitama District, Abuja, FCT, titled  “Re-NLC in contempt of court, the NLC solicitor Sam Ogala, said: “In your reaction to the decision of  Nigerian workers to participate in peaceful rallies to protest the worsening economic crisis in the country you were reported to have accused the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress of treating the order of the National Industrial Court with contempt. Contrary to your unwarranted allegation, the Nigeria Labour Congress does not intend to disobey the ex parte order of the National Industrial Court to the effect that “The defendants/Respondents are hereby restrained from embarking on the planned Industrial Action/or strike of any nature, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice dated 5th June 2023.”

“You will agree with us that the National Industrial Court or any other Court has not grant an order of interim, interlocutory or perpetual injunction restraining Nigerian workers from participating in peaceful rallies convened by the Nigeria Labour Congress. Since the  constitutional right of Nigerian workers to protest peacefully cannot by any stretch of imagination be classified as an industrial action or strike of any nature, you ought not have threatened our client with contempt of court.”

Positive results

President Tinubu has revealed that the international community was in support and admiration for the Federal Government’s decision to eliminate fuel subsidy and implement foreign exchange regime policies.

According to him, these measures were proving to be effective and generating positive results.

He stated this at a Gala/Award Night on Saturday, organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to recognise and honour outstanding civil servants to mark the 2023 Civil Service Week according to a statement released by the HOCSF, yesterday.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, President Tinubu thanked civil servants for their numerous contributions to the economic development of the country.

Acknowledging the impact of the policies on the general population, President Tinubu emphasised that the government is actively developing measures to alleviate the associated hardships.

“We shall without delay cushion the pains being experienced by our people as a result of these measures through a number of well-targeted interventions aimed at giving adequate relief and succour to a great number of our long- suffering citizens, ” he said.

The president, however, pledged to give more support to the civil service sector, being the custodian of public trust to consolidate on the gains of the ongoing reforms in the sector.

In her opening remarks, the Head of Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, said every human being had an inherent desire to be appreciated or acknowledged for their efforts, and so hard-working civil servants deserved reward for their services to the nation.

According to her, when an individual feels valued and recognised for hard work, they are more likely to be

committed and enthusiastic next time around.

She used the occasion to present prizes namely, a brand new 2022 JAC JS4 Luxury Model SUV, a two bedroom semi-detached bungalow; and a plot of land to the top three outstanding civil servants.

The gesture, which is in collaboration with the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, also favoured 29 other outstanding civil servants who went home with other awards while few got N500,000 each.