Subsidy Protests: Where is Oshiomhole?

                                         POLITICAL NOTES

Members of the organised labour were shocked last Wednesday when they forced their way into the National Assembly complex but did not see the former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had announced the commencement of nationwide protests, following President Bola Tinubu’s decision to pull the plug on the petrol subsidy regime.

The president’s pronouncement during his inaugural speech on May 29 that the era of subsidy regime had ended had immediately resulted in a hike in the pump price of petrol, galloping inflation and economic hardship.

Dialogue sessions between government’s representatives and NLC, aimed at forestalling the protests and an impending strike, yielded very little, necessitating nationwide protests.

At the commencement of the strike on Wednesday, the protesters in Abuja brought down the gate leading into the National Assembly and forced their way into the complex, while chanting solidarity songs and slogans.

Upon entering the complex, the labour leaders demanded to meet with Oshiomhole, a former labour leader and senator representing Edo North in the Senate, who apparently disappeared from the chamber.

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume; Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe; and Senator representing Anambra North, Tony Nwoye, among others, stood on the railings of the complex to address the irate crowd and calm frayed nerves.

“Where is Oshiomhole? Where is Oshiomhole?” some in the crowd thundered repeatedly as Ndume moved to address the workers.

Oshiomhole was NLC president between 1999 and 2007. He was visibly vocal in the proverbial trenches and led several protests against the federal government during his tenure as labour leader.

The lawmakers were preparing to resume screening of some of the president’s ministerial nominees when the protesters stormed the complex.

With the lawmakers preparing for the screening, there was strong suspicion that Oshiomhole was in the chamber but chose to avoid them, apparently due to his new status.

Many believe that having joined the other side, the former Edo State governor is no longer on the side of the Nigerian workers whose cause he championed to rise to prominence.