Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has vowed to ground Nigeria from Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023, if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, fails to reverse all anti-people policies of his administration.
NLC in a statement jointly signed by its President and General Secretary, Joe Ajaero and Emma Ugboaja, respectively, gave Tinubu the August 2nd ultimatum to heed the people’s yearnings or face mass protest.
“We give the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum within which to meet all our demands and to embark on a nationwide action beginning Wednesday, August 2, 2023, to compel the government to reverse its anti-poor and anti-workers policies,” the statement said.
The organised labour said it had directed all its affiliates and state councils to immediately begin mobilisation of workers and other Nigerians, including civil society allies, for a long lasting strike and mass protests should the Federal Government fail to do the needful.
Part of the demands by NLC is the reversal of the fuel price hike, and the payment of the eight months salary arrears owed lecturers in the country.
Similarly, NLC in a communiqué at the end of its Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting held Tuesday, July 25, at Labour House, Abuja, also demanded the immediate inauguration of the Presidential Steering Committee as agreed in the earlier consequential dialogues.
The communique said the CWC-in-session demanded “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers and increase in VAT.”
It was also resolved at the meeting that NLC would “ begin the building across the nation of a coalition of all Nigerians where all will be leaders and all will be followers, calls on all civil society organisations and Nigerians wherever they may be to begin mobilisation to take action on their own to save our nation and to lead and organise mass protest rallies across the nation to demonstrate outrage against the inhuman actions and policies of the government.”
According to the communique made available to Ikengaonline, NLC “directs all affiliates and state councils to begin immediate mobilisation and closely work with associations, individuals and other entities including the ones already on the streets to ensure that government listens to the people.”
The communiqué, further said that “CWC-in-Session exhaustively deliberated on the crippling economic situation facing Nigerians and its attendant consequences of mass suffering, poverty and angst pervading Nigerian workers and people, which are clear results of the insensitive policies and actions of the present administration.”
The Labour union recalled that President Tinubu had during his inaugural speech, shocked Nigerians when he unilaterally announced an end to subsidy regime.
“As if that was not enough, the Federal Government, through the instrumentality of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, effected a further hike in the price of PMS to N617 per litre without having addressed the dire consequences which the earlier hike had imposed on Nigerians.
‘’Other anti-poor policies have since been unleashed on Nigerians which have left workers and masses reeling and deeply impoverished.”
The communique further said that “CWC-in-Session contended that the Federal Government has shown enormous disdain and contempt for Nigerian people and workers, having acted and continued to act without regards to the welfare and cries of the citizenry.
‘’The government seems to have declared a war of attrition on Nigerian workers and masses without any care, leaving them to the throes of hopelessness and helplessness.
‘’The Federal Government has refused to put in place safeguards to protect Nigerians from the harsh economic situation that its policies have inflicted on the people.
“The Federal Government has frustrated and abandoned its own committee which was a product of social dialogue between the government and workers’ organisations in the country.
‘’While the committee has not met, the government embarked on unilateral actions and programmes. Since Mr. President’s ‘subsidy is gone forever’ speech at inauguration day, the peace of mind of Nigerians has gone, increasing despair of unimaginable dimensions.
“The Federal Government has continued to treat Nigerians as slaves and a conquered people which it treats with impunity without any concern on the consequences.
‘’The government has continued in an unholy mission of robbing the poor to pay the rich in Nigeria as typified by its continued frustration of the activation of the agreed alternatives to Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and new hike in prices of PMS to N617 per litre.
‘’It has continued to promote the gang up of the ruling elite against Nigerian people and workers.
“It is the responsibility of men and women of conscience, propelled by patriotic zeal, to take necessary action to protect democracy and our beloved nation since it is clear that the Federal Government is not interested in discussions, having exhausted half of the agreed eight weeks without activating the Presidential Steering Committee.”
