Nigeria may be plunged into another round of industrial strife as the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress are set for a showdown with the government of President Bola Tinubu over the removal of fuel subsidy.
The President said the subsidy regime is gone, insisting the government could no longer sustain it. The development has already sparked off panic buying as queue resurfaces in fuel stations in many parts of the country.
However, in the NLC said TInubu decision on fuel subsidy removal was not a well thought move.
The National President, NLC, Joe Ajaero who spoke in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja said the announcement would also draw the economy of the country backward by 50 percent.
“The comment on fuel subsidy removal is not well thought out, coming as an inaugural speech. It is going to draw the economy of the country backward by over 50 percent within the next 48 hours. Nigerians will speak in one accord at the appropriate moment,” he said.
The Trade Union of Congress also insisted that the newly sworn-in President must meet with the organized labour before making pronouncements about removal of fuel subsidy.
The National Vice-President, TUC, Timmy Etim, said, “The president must meet with the organized labour before such pronouncement can be made. You cannot just make such announcements and then the media will amplify it thereby causing trouble. It is just a mere word of mouth pronouncement. Such pronouncement will lead to increase in panic buying and then you’ll start seeing fuel stations sell at high prices. The president needs to meet the organised labour first. He should not disappoint the people who brought him into power by causing hardship.”
