Labour Silent After Parley with FG on Fuel Price Hike

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The organised labour, yesterday, declined to provide details of the outcome of its meeting with the federal government at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), in Abuja on the raging high cost of fuel nationwide.

It was gathered that the thrust of the meeting was the recent increases in petrol price and its socio-economic effects on Nigerian masses.

The meeting also reflected on the Compress Natural Gas (CNG), the minimum wage and consequential adjustment in salaries.

Those who attended the meeting included the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun and the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris.

Also present were the Minister of Petroleum Minister, State, Heineken Lokpobiri; the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo and and representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Limited.

The Joint Organised Labour was represented by NLC President, Joe Ajaero; Deputy President, Kabiru Ado Sani; General Secretary, Comrade Emma Ugboaja; Deputy President of the TUC, Dr. Tommy Etim Okon; Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, and the President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, who is also a deputy President of NLC.

Also at the meeting were the Vice-President of NLC, Benjamin Anthony and Deputy Women leader of NLC, Deborah Yusuf,
The parties adjourned after some hours of deliberation.

Ajaero left without responding to questions by reporters.

But in a terse remarks, Idris said the engagement was federal government’s continuation of rapport with labour for the good of the country.
“As you know labour are members of this country and all of them are our brothers and sisters. Government is there for everyone including labour,” said Idris.

Bagudu noted that the country might need to take some tough decisions with attendant challenges and consequences.

“And we are dealing with them, which is part of what we are asking. Why is there a spike in inflation for September 2 percentage point, following the decline we talked about? But because of the energy prices that were yet to stabilise the affected oil prices.

“But beyond that, just borrowing from, again, what has been said at the consensus, is when you are undertaking reform, is to stay the course. And the benefits will follow. We are in the tick of a harvest season.

“We believe that that will further impact on food prices. Most of the measures that have been taken are beginning to yield to greater levels of investment and effort to mobilise more investment, which we believe will cement the rise in gross domestic product. Our gross domestic product for the first quarter increased by over two percent, close to three per cent,” Bagudu said.

The minister reiterated the need for the country to grow fast enough at a higher rate, saying they were taking all the fearful measures that would put Nigeria on a sustainable, inclusive, higher rate of growth.

“And in doing so, we might experience occasional hiccups. We believe we have stopped the decline. We are not where we want to be. Look, our president’s message in the Refueled Hope agenda is, let us confront our reality,” he said.