The deal which would have
brought relief to Nigerians
after a week-long strike
was bungled last night as
the organized Labour and
the Federal Government
disagreed on the need to
revert fuel price to N65 per
litre and on the
commencement date of the
deregulation policy.
The President, Nigerian
Labour Congress (NLC),
Comrade Abdulwaheed
Omar, who spoke to
newsmen after the meeting
last night, said they “have
not reached a compromise,”
noting that “the status quo
remains.”
He insisted that the only
compromise the labour was
ready to accept was the
reversal of the petrol price
to N65 per litre.
He said, “We are going to
continue our deliberation at
our organisation level and
then maybe we will see the
way forward.
“The meeting is not
deadlocked, but we have
not reached a compromise.
Like we said the other time,
it means the status quo
remains.”
Asked what compromise
labour wanted? He said:
“Let’s go back to N65, then
we agree on a new line of
action. For now, we are
insisting on N65.”
Secretary to the
Government of the
Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius
Anyim led the Federal
Government’s team while
President, Nigerian Labour
Congress (NLC), Comrade
Abdulwaheed Omar and
Secretary General of the
Trades Union Congress
(TUC) Peter Esele led the
18-man labour negotiating
team to the meeting.
Also present at the meeting
were Senate President
David Mark and House of
Representatives Speaker
Aminu Tambuwal.
The removal of fuel
subsidy on January 1 had
triggered a nationwide
strike by labour which
crippled economic and
business activities in most
commercial centres across
the country, while lives and
properties were also lost in
the protests.
The two groups met last
Thursday night where both
sides shifted ground and
began working on a deal to
peg petrol price at about
N100.
Top officials of labour had
at the end of the serial
rallies last Friday
announced a break for
Saturday and Sunday to
enable the masses rest as
well as get more food and
other necessities that will
last them during the next
round of strike billed for
Monday.
State governors at the
meeting were Murtala
Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu
Magatakarda Wammako
(Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross
River),
Rotimi Amaechi
(Rivers), Peter Obi
(Anambra), Adams
Oshiomhole (Edo),
Theodore Orji (Abia),
Babatunde Fashola (Lagos),
Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and
Gabriel Suswam (Benue).
Also present were Deputy
Senate President Ike
Ekweremadu, Deputy
Speaker Emeka Ihedioha,
Senate leader Victor
Ndoma-Egba, Senator Abdul
Ningi,
National Security
Adviser (NSA) Andrew
Azazi, Ministers of Finance,
Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala,
Justice, Bello Adoke;
Labour, Emeka Wogu;
Trade and Investment,
Olusegun Aganga;
Petroleum Diezani Alison-
Madueke; FCT, Bala
Mohammed; Minister of
State for Health, Mohammed
Ali Pate; Information
Minister Labaran Maku, also
attended the meeting
At the weekend, Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala,
Coordinating
Minister for
the economy, told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
that the Federal
government was committed
to the peaceful resolution
of the Labour strike over
the removal of fuel subsidy.
Okonjo-Iweala had
said the
major objective was to
ensure that Nigerians get
back to work.
“I’m being positive that the
right atmosphere exists for
good conclusion to come
about from the ongoing
dialogue; the labour people
and people in government
are Nigerians.” She said
that both the NLC and the
Federal Government had
one common objective,
``that is for the nation to
move forward.
“We understand how the
people are feeling; the
children need to go back to
school, and the people
need to go back to their
businesses and market.
“We really are prepared
and trying to get to a
situation where this can
happen,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala said she
was confident that the
government and labour
would agree at a point on
the appropriate pump price
for fuel.
She said President
Goodluck Jonathan was
flexible, adding “is
someone who wants to
make sure that the current
situation is resolved so
that Nigerians can go back
to work”. But Nigerians are
waiting.
brought relief to Nigerians
after a week-long strike
was bungled last night as
the organized Labour and
the Federal Government
disagreed on the need to
revert fuel price to N65 per
litre and on the
commencement date of the
deregulation policy.
The President, Nigerian
Labour Congress (NLC),
Comrade Abdulwaheed
Omar, who spoke to
newsmen after the meeting
last night, said they “have
not reached a compromise,”
noting that “the status quo
remains.”
He insisted that the only
compromise the labour was
ready to accept was the
reversal of the petrol price
to N65 per litre.
He said, “We are going to
continue our deliberation at
our organisation level and
then maybe we will see the
way forward.
“The meeting is not
deadlocked, but we have
not reached a compromise.
Like we said the other time,
it means the status quo
remains.”
Asked what compromise
labour wanted? He said:
“Let’s go back to N65, then
we agree on a new line of
action. For now, we are
insisting on N65.”
Secretary to the
Government of the
Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius
Anyim led the Federal
Government’s team while
President, Nigerian Labour
Congress (NLC), Comrade
Abdulwaheed Omar and
Secretary General of the
Trades Union Congress
(TUC) Peter Esele led the
18-man labour negotiating
team to the meeting.
Also present at the meeting
were Senate President
David Mark and House of
Representatives Speaker
Aminu Tambuwal.
The removal of fuel
subsidy on January 1 had
triggered a nationwide
strike by labour which
crippled economic and
business activities in most
commercial centres across
the country, while lives and
properties were also lost in
the protests.
The two groups met last
Thursday night where both
sides shifted ground and
began working on a deal to
peg petrol price at about
N100.
Top officials of labour had
at the end of the serial
rallies last Friday
announced a break for
Saturday and Sunday to
enable the masses rest as
well as get more food and
other necessities that will
last them during the next
round of strike billed for
Monday.
State governors at the
meeting were Murtala
Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu
Magatakarda Wammako
(Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross
River),
Rotimi Amaechi
(Rivers), Peter Obi
(Anambra), Adams
Oshiomhole (Edo),
Theodore Orji (Abia),
Babatunde Fashola (Lagos),
Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and
Gabriel Suswam (Benue).
Also present were Deputy
Senate President Ike
Ekweremadu, Deputy
Speaker Emeka Ihedioha,
Senate leader Victor
Ndoma-Egba, Senator Abdul
Ningi,
National Security
Adviser (NSA) Andrew
Azazi, Ministers of Finance,
Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala,
Justice, Bello Adoke;
Labour, Emeka Wogu;
Trade and Investment,
Olusegun Aganga;
Petroleum Diezani Alison-
Madueke; FCT, Bala
Mohammed; Minister of
State for Health, Mohammed
Ali Pate; Information
Minister Labaran Maku, also
attended the meeting
At the weekend, Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala,
Coordinating
Minister for
the economy, told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
that the Federal
government was committed
to the peaceful resolution
of the Labour strike over
the removal of fuel subsidy.
Okonjo-Iweala had
said the
major objective was to
ensure that Nigerians get
back to work.
“I’m being positive that the
right atmosphere exists for
good conclusion to come
about from the ongoing
dialogue; the labour people
and people in government
are Nigerians.” She said
that both the NLC and the
Federal Government had
one common objective,
``that is for the nation to
move forward.
“We understand how the
people are feeling; the
children need to go back to
school, and the people
need to go back to their
businesses and market.
“We really are prepared
and trying to get to a
situation where this can
happen,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala said she
was confident that the
government and labour
would agree at a point on
the appropriate pump price
for fuel.
She said President
Goodluck Jonathan was
flexible, adding “is
someone who wants to
make sure that the current
situation is resolved so
that Nigerians can go back
to work”. But Nigerians are
waiting.
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