Fuel Subsidy: No Progress Made On 7-point Mou With FG, Says NLC

* Shelves briefing on mass protest to await Tinubu’s broadcast 

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Federal Government of not showing enough commitment to address issues captured in its seven-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) it entered into with organised labour.

The NLC said it shelved its press conference scheduled for Monday to roll out plans for Wednesday’s mass protest, and await President Bola Tinubu’s national broadcast later in the day.

On the fuel subsidy talks, the congress said it was becoming apparent that the Federal Government was adopting time wasting strategy rather than addressing the sufferings of the masses.

The Head of Information and Publicity at the NLC, Comrade Benson Upah, who spoke in an interview with THISDAY Monday, said that as at last Friday when the representatives of the organised labour turned up for the scheduled meeting with the government team, nothing was achieved as the government team did not show up. 

He spoke on the treatment meted out to the labour team by security men at the Presidential Villa gate.

“Our representatives were kept waiting for two hours to be cleared by the security men before entering the Presidential Villa and when they got in, there was nobody to attend to us,” he said. 

Upah said that even at the meeting of the previous day, government’s representation was weak with no progress recorded on the issues. 

“For a matter as serious as this, that affects the well-being of the generality of Nigerians, we had expected a more robust initiative and response from the Federal Government but that has not been forthcoming. Our honest conclusion is that government  was playing for time. Out of the seven items in our memorandum of understanding with the Federal Government on the basis for which we signed a resolution on June 5, 2023, I am not sure anyone has been implemented.

“These include the establishment of a joint commitment to review the proposal for any wage increase or award and to establish a framework and timelines for implementation; to review the World Bank financed Cash Transfer Scheme and propose the inclusion of low income earners into the programme, to drive the CNG energy conversion initiative earlier agreed with the labour centres in 2020 -2021and the framework for implementation and timing; to review issues hindering the delivery in the education sector and propose solutions for implementation, and to establish a framework for the completion of the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries, to provide the framework for the maintenance of our roads and rail networks across the country.  

“The MoU also includes the demands submitted by the TUC,” he said.

Upah said that this was a clear departure from what obtained in the past.

He cited examples of the interventions made during previous administrations and the relative speed with which the palliatives were introduced. 

“For instance, when the then President Ibrahim Babangida raised pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit, he had an elaborate plan which was executed with despatch and simultaneously across the country with mass transport vehicles which NLC benefited from by rolling out transport services that operated in all states of the federation,” he said.

According to him, there were also a couple of other schemes mounted by the military regime, adding that under late Gen. Sani Abacha, there was an initiative known as the Presidential Trust Fund (PTF). 

“PTF was a multi sectoral intervention which cuts across road maintenance, education, health and transportation sectors. It was like some kind of a mini marshal plan to address the welfare and economic challenges at the time,” he said. 

Upah said that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua also came up with their own interventions to try to address the hardship on the people. 

Regarding the present situation, the NLC scribe said the Federal Government clearly did not carry out any consultation with  stakeholders before announcing the removal of fuel subsidy. 

“They appear not to have any intent at doing something to cushion the effects of the fuel hike, that is why two months after removing the subsidy, there has been no intervention,” he said. 

On the contrary, Upah said the government found it necessary to quickly intervene on behalf of those who were already over-subsidized by approving N70 billion for the members of the National Assembly who were already over pampered by the state.

“N35 billion was equally approved for the Judiciary. Why is the intervention for  the poor dragging? Why is the conversation having no destination or direction? This is our concern,” he said.