NLC Says It Shall Continue To Engage FG Despite Suspension of Proposed Fuel Hike

• Despite Suspension of Hike, We Shall Continue Engaging FG

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has commended Nigerians for standing by it and heeding it's calls to resist the proposed fuel hike which subsequently forced the hands of the Federal Government to reverse it's planned fuel hike.

Deputy National Security of the Organization, Comrades Bello Ismail during a press conference on Wednesday, 26, 2022, added that NLC would be watchful of what the FG does in order not to be caught of guard .

“We will not go to sleep despite the reversal of the subsidy removal by the government. We will continue to be vigilant over the issue.”

“Following the reversal and reapproach by government, the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress had an emergency.

Fielding questions from Journalists, the scribe of NLC revealed that group has also engaged the Federal Government in all key critical areas  which has forced the hands of the government from increasing the prices of cooking gas or  electricity tariffs the way it had wanted .

" I can tell you that the Federal Government had wanted huge increment in the prices of cooking gas and electric tariff, but because of the way we engaged them it was forced to pushed down its proposed hike .

" We shall continue to engage the Federal Government with so that it would redeem it's pledges it made to provide buses during our negotiation,he added 

Text of the press conference

“Following the reversal and reapproach by government, the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress had an emergency virtual meeting this morning to consider the new position of the government. After vigorous debates, the NEC decided to suspend the planned nationwide protest scheduled for 27h January 2022 and the

national protest in Abuja scheduled for 2nd February 2022.

“The leadership of the Congress has communicated this organ decision to our civil society allies who have stood stoically behind Nigerian workers in our quest for social and economic justice for workers and the downtrodden people of our country. Going forward, we will continue to engage with the government on the very critical issues of ensuring local refining of petroleum, creation of sustainable jobs and provision of petrol at an affordable price for Nigerian workers and people.

“Fellow Nigerian workers and citizens, you would recall that on the 23 of November 2021, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning at the launch of the World Bank Development Update

disclosed to Nigerians government’s plans to remove subsidy on the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also commonly known as ‘petrol’ or fuel’.

“The policy of removal of petrol subsidy, as we all know, has become a euphemism for hike in the pump price of petrol. The attendant effect of the proposed removal of petrol subsidy would push the pump price of fuel to between N320 and N340 per

litre. There is no gainsaying the fact that this would have terribly exacerbated the current scourge of inflation in the country, deepened poverty, heightened social tensions and pushed the country and millions of her poor citizens to the very precipice.

“Immediately, the Minister of Finance unveiled government’s plans on petrol price increment, the Nigeria Labour Congress issued a press statement on November 24, 2021 condemning the proposed government policy and warned of the dire consequences that would follow the implementation of the policy. The Congress went on to convene national organ meetings to deliberate on the issue.

“After series of statutory organ meetings culminating in a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting which took place on the 17th of December 202 1, the Nigeria Labour Congress renewed its traditional

position of resisting incessant increases in the pump price of petrol.

“The NEC went ahead to give directives for the mobilization of workers and citizens for national protests if the Federal Government fails to reverse the planned hike in the pump price of petrol.

“At the peak of very rigorous mobilization of Nigerians by the Nigeria Labour Congress and a host of her Civil Society allies, the government through the Minister of Finance yesterday, 24th January 2022, made a public announcement reversing the plans to increase petrol pump price. The position of the government was also officially communicated to the Congress with calls for further engagement.

“We commend the Nigerian workers and people particularly civil society allies for their unwavering solidarity and support during this struggle. We  are stronger together,” he