Subsidy Removal: Senate Passes Motion Stopping NLC Nationwide Strike

•Asks Akpabio to meet Tinubu, union

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate, yesterday, passed a motion seeking to stop the nationwide strike declared by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

The labour union had asked its affiliates across the country to begin an indefinite strike from tomorrow, Wednesday, August 2 in order to protest the hardship that is currently being experienced by Nigerians as a result of the subsidy removal.

The Senate, however, mandated its leadership to have an interface with President Bola Tinubu and the NLC.

Senators, who contributed to the debate on the motion moved by Senator Sulaiman Kawu (Kano South), appealed to the federal government to immediately come up with a comprehensive palliatives to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal.

They also appealed to the leadership of the NLC to halt the strike pending when the Senate  would interface with the executive arm of government on the matter.

The Senate made the resolution following a motion titled: “Urgent need to avert intending strike of the Nigeria Labour Congress,” by Kawu.

Kawu, noted that the NLC had given the federal government a seven-day ultimatum to reverse what the union termed as “anti-poor policies” or face an indefinite nationwide strike from Wednesday, August 2.

He also noted that the union had directed all its affiliates and state councils to immediately begin mobilisation of workers and other Nigerians, including the civil society allies for a long lasting strike and protests.

The lawmaker stated that “the labour movement in a statement signed by its national president accused the federal government of failing to meet up with the demands presented to it following the subsidy removal on petrol, which caused an astronomical rise in the pump price of the commodity.”

He therefore, expressed worries that “the strike would cripple the country as movement would be severely curtailed as transport operators would withdraw their services, while markets, schools and healthcare facilities would be forced to shut down.”

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the federal government was not relenting in its efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the masses following the subsidy removal on petrol, and called on the local and state governments to always play complementary roles.

However, calling for the understanding and support of Nigerians for the present administration, he declared that, “98% of our monthly revenue cannot be used to pay subsidy on fuel.”