• We’re wooing each other –Ajaero
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu yesterday held a marathon meeting with the organised Labour in an atempt to prevent the planned industrial action.
The labour has fixed tomorrow for nationwide strike over the removal of subsidy on fuel.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, on several occation was seen consulting with his exco members over offers from the president.
When asked if he had reached a truce with the government he said that they were wooing each other.
On the court order stopping tomorrow’s strike, Ajero said they were not aware of any court injunction halting the strike.
He said there was no need for government to use underhand tactics, but rather should engage Labour and address the concerns of workers.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) later joined the NLC at the meeting.
•Removal painful surgery to save economy –Olawepo-Hashim
Former Presidential Candidate and Business man, Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has appealed to the Labour Movement and other Social groups to accept the removal of the subsidy on petroleum product as a painful surgical procedure mend to restore Nigerians economic growth.
In a statement by his media office in Abuja on Monday, Olawepo-Hashim contended that since the subsidy was removed already in the 2023 budget by the previous administration, the market price was reflected and the entire market had absorbed the increase with prices going up for different items.
He said: “Even if the subsidy is reversed, prices of goods and services will not be reviewed to their previous levels and it would be a loss to the Economy.”
The business man added “there cannot be any sensible talk about undoing what has been done but managing the pains of the adjustment on vulnerable groups such as Labour, who do not have the price mechanism for their services to absorb the pain.”
He stressed that “as an enterpreneur, what I have done in my business is to pay immediately, a transport subsidy across board; same amount to all my workers without prejudice to their salary scale. I believe the Government and all employers of labour will do the same.”
He maintained that “there are far more benefits of removal of the subsidy to the economy, chief among which include massive investment in the mid and downstream sectors of the economy that hitherto have been locked out due to the subsidy regime.
These sectors, he argued, typically create millions of jobs and remain a critical section that add value to the Economy.
“In the past I have been a strident campaigner against removal of petrol subsidies because I had no trust in the ability of most of the previous governments to manage the gains of the exercise for the benefit of all Nigerians.
“The times are different now. Nigeria has a new political-Economic manager in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we can trust his ability to manage the exercise in the interest of all.
“Comrades, we have marched together in the past three and a half decades saying no to subsidy removal, but it is time to shift grounds; let us only insist on welfare and protection for the working class in the midst of this adjustment,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim maintained that President Tinubu is an ally of the working class, adding that “it is time to move forward together in a direction that is well articulated in the Renewed Hope which Nigerian electorates democratically endorsed.”