In a surprising turn of events, the organized labour has maintained its stance to proceed with the planned protest against the removal of petroleum subsidy.
They also expressed skepticism regarding President Bola Tinubu’s ability to control inflation and gasoline prices due to the unification of the exchange rate.
Speaking to reporters, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, emphasized that the peaceful protest will take place as scheduled, dismissing concerns about potential hijacking by miscreants, asserting that such incidents have never occurred during workers’ protests in the past.
Ajaero highlighted that the responsibility for ensuring the protest’s security lies with the relevant authorities.
The meeting adjourned until 12 noon on Tuesday to allow labor leaders to listen to the President’s national broadcast.
Regarding Tinubu’s plan to intervene in exchange rates and high gasoline costs, Ajaero questioned the feasibility of controlling such factors in the current import-driven energy market.
On the government’s side, the Chief of Staff to the President stated that they had productive discussions during the closed-door meeting.
He expressed optimism that after the President’s broadcast, there would be no need for further protests as the government would unveil their interventions to address the situation.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, appealed to the organized labour to give the administration some leeway to address the country’s economic challenges, stressing that President Tinubu inherited a difficult economic situation and is diligently working to improve it.
It is worth recalling that the organized labour had previously walked out of a meeting last week, citing the absence of top government officials for negotiations.
In Monday’s meeting, attendees included labor leaders, government officials, and representatives from the organized labor delegation. The situation remains fluid as the nation awaits further developments.
