Group: NLC Proposed Protest Will Lead to More Hardship for Nigerians

*Niger NLC demands N50,000 monthly palliative for civil servants, N30,000 for pensioners

*Asks Governor Bago to suspend PAYE

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna

Following the decision of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to mobilise Nigerians and other affiliate unions to embark on nationwide protest on August 2, 2023, to express their disapproval of the petrol subsidy removal, a Coalition of Civil Society Organisations and Political Parties for Good Governance (COSOSAP) has warned that the strike would lead to more hardship for Nigerians.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, its National Coordinator, Dr. Lillian Ogbole, acknowledged that the fuel subsidy removal had visited untold hardship on Nigerians, but expressed optimism that Nigerians would  heave a sigh of relief going by the measures being put in place by the President Bola Tinubu led administration in no distant time.
She insisted that the oil subsidy regime could no longer be sustained as it constituted a source of monumental corruption and a clog in the wheels of the nation’s progress in the last 45 years.

Ogbole, noted that no matter the perspective the situation was looked from, Nigerians must be guided by the “overriding national interest which is the continuous survival of our citizens under one indivisible entity.”
Against this background, the group called on those opposed to the policy to exercise a little more patience and support the government to create the enabling environment that would improve the living standard of the larger majority of Nigerians.

Ogbole said: “It is true that Nigerians desire and deserve to buy petrol at a cheaper rate, but again it is equally true that neither our economy, nor any other economy in the world can bear the brunt of the mega corruption associated with the fuel subsidy regime as was obtainable in Nigeria.
“It suffice therefore to say that, the only way our dear nation Nigeria would not go the way of failed states like Venezuela and Sri Lanka etc., is to obliterate the fuel subsidy regime.”

Ogbole, said this accounted for why the last administration ended the fuel subsidy regime in the twilight of its tenure as evident in their refusal to make appropriation for fuel subsidy for the month of June 2023 and even subsequent months.
The group, therefore, called on government regulatory agencies to expose and sanction any company that might indulge in the importation of substandard petroleum products into the country without hesitation.

Ogbole added: “It is worthy of note therefore to mention emphatically that the NLC cannot roll in the path of any form of industrial action either by way of protest or nationwide strike as this will further escalate more crisis and problem than what is presently obtainable.
“It is no news that the world at large is going through severe Post-Covid hardship; this has damaged several economies around the globe today. This information is available for free on various global communication platforms.

“The menace of difficult times and hardship can only be overcome through reasoning together and working in synergy to achieve prosperity and progress.”
Meanwhile, the Niger State Chapter of the NLC has asked Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to pay civil servants N50,000 monthly as palliative to cushion the effect of the removal of petrol subsidy by the federal government.

In addition the Congress wants the minimum pension in the state to be jerked to N30,000 monthly.
The Congress, according to a reliable source, wrote the Governor last week to make the demands for the palliatives in addition to asking for other interventions from the new administration to make life worth living for the people of the state.

According to the demands, the NLC also asked the governor to suspend the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) policy but was silent on the period it wants it suspended.
The demands the Congress said should also cover workers in the 25 local government Councils of the state as well as all agencies of government.
The Congress noted that prices of foodstuff and other commodities have skyrocketed in the state, pointing out that the high commodity prices were introduced by shylock traders to inflict pains on the ordinary people.

The Congress also asked the Governor, “to improve on the state and local government area security architecture with special emphasis on encouraging the local vigilantees”.
When THISDAY contacted the State Chairman of the NLC, Idris Abdulkareem Lafene, confirmed in the telephone conversation that: “Yes we have written to the Governor”.
He however did not give details of the letter.