Fuel Subsidy: NLC blames Gbajabiamila for the delay in negotiations with FG

In the wake of the removal of the fuel subsidy, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the federal government’s negotiation committee of failing to meet the demands of Nigerian workers.

For allegedly failing to address the growing concerns of organized labor, the committee led by President Bola Tinubu’s chief of staff Femi Gbajabiamila has come under fire.

The government’s negotiation team being led by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, according to the labor congress, has refused to meet with them, delaying the resolution of the workers’ complaints.

The national president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, informed the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and other key senatorial officials of this during their Tuesday meeting at the National Assembly.

Members of the NLC protested the severe hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidies by visiting the National Assembly complex a few days prior to this meeting.

To restore economic stability and lessen the suffering of Nigerian citizens, the protesters demanded an immediate reversal of the subsidy removal.

Ali Ndume, the chief whip of the Senate, pleaded for a seven-day deadline so that the Senate could intervene and mediate the conflict between labor and the government.

However, tensions are still high, as Ajaero lamented that Gbajabiamila’s refusal to allow the labor leaders to discuss the demands is causing a delay in the fulfillment of the demands of Nigerian workers.

“Our challenge is the issue of the committee put in place. The committee seems not to be capable. As labour, we are done with negotiation and engagement with the government from the time of Ikaite, as SGF, Kingibe, Pius Ayim, and Boss Mustapha,” Ajaero said.

“At no time had the chief of staff to the president, who is very busy, called to negotiate or lead negotiations, and that has delayed the issues. After our protest, another meeting has not reconvened, though the president promised that he will restructure the mechanism of engagement with the government to help things to be treated fast.”

The labor leader also expressed dissatisfaction that the committee Tinubu formed to discuss minimum wage increases has not yet met to begin discussions.

Ajaero urged the Senate to get involved in pressuring the federal government to give the 8,000 palliatives to their proper recipients as soon as possible.

To make sure that the most vulnerable households receive palliatives, he advocated for the development of a new data system.

In response to the labor leader’s worries, Akpabio promised that the Senate would intervene to make sure the federal government complied with the needs of the Nigerian workforce.