By Bimbola Oyesola

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The joint committees of the Federal Government and organised labour on palliatives meant to cushion the effects of the increase in the pump price of petrol was formally inaugurated in Abuja yesterday.
The 16 man technical committee, chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has the representative of the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Prof. Adamu K. Usman as secretary.
Other members of the committee representing the Federal Government are Minister of State, Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of Budget and Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma,  Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun,  Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Chairman of National Salaries and Wages Commission, Chief Richard .O Egbule and a representative of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.  On the other hand, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is represented by Peter Adeyemi, Amaechi Asugwuni,  Ibrahim Khaleel, Igwe Achese and  Segun Esan.  Similarly, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) is represented by Augustine Etafo, Alade Bashir Lawal and Abdullahi Sale.
The inauguration took place at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, coming barely two weeks after the NLC nationwide strike in protest against increase in pump price of fuel by the federal government from N86.50 to N145.
The Technical Committee is expected to discuss on Minimum Wage and other palliative to cushion the effect of the present hike on the workers as well as other Nigerians.
Igwe Achese, President, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), a member of the committee, said the body will determine a suitable upwardly-reviewed National Minimum Wage for Nigerian workers as well as Immediate reconstitution of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), to monitor petrol sales.
Achese explained that the list of members of  P‎PPRA whose committee is also drawn from government and labour is already with the federal government, while the inauguration is expected to hold within the month.