APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The report that the meeting between the Federal Government and the organised Labour to stave off the planned strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress was deadlocked on Monday night is one of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Wednesday.
The Punch reports that the Federal Government and the organised Labour to stave off the planned strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress deadlocked on Monday night
The Minister of State Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who hosted the parley in Abuja, could not convince the unions to suspend the strike slated for February 23.
This was as the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria threatened to down tools by February 27, 2024, if the Federal Government failed to implement the agreement it entered into with the association in 2020.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, sought the understanding of the unions, saying, “We are optimistic Labour will see reason and strike will be averted in the interest of the nation.’’
The NLC and TUC on February 8 issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the Federal Government over the failure of the Bola Tinubu-led government to implement the agreements reached on October 2, 2023, following the removal of the subsidy on petrol.
In a statement signed by the leaders of the two labour unions, Joe Ajaero and Festus Usifo, the organised Labour expressed sadness that despite the passage of time, “The majority of these crucial agreements remain unmet or negligibly addressed, indicating a blatant disregard for the principles of good faith, welfare and rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerians.”
The newspaper says that the Federal Government on Tuesday hinted at plans to establish a National Commodity Board to curtail the escalating food inflation in Nigeria.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who revealed the plan, said in tackling price volatility, the board would be empowered to “continually assess and regulate food prices, maintaining a strategic food reserve for stabilising prices of crucial grains and other food items.”
Shettima said this when he declared open a two-day high-level strategic meeting on climate change, food systems and resource mobilisation held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the VP was delivering his address titled, “Climate Resilience and Food Security: Nigeria’s Vision for the Future,” saying the two-day event attests to Nigeria’s efforts at mitigating the effects of climate change and ensuring food security for Nigerians.
The statement is titled ‘Food Security: FG mulls commodity board to tackle price volatility, others.’
Describing food security as one of the eight areas of priority of the Tinubu presidency, the VP highlighted ongoing policy reforms to ensure food and water availability and affordability.
He explained, “Our solution to the potential food crisis has become immediate, medium and long-term strategies.
Vanguard newspaper reports that Nigerian Human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has cautioned the Federal Government to reject the offers of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
Falana issued this advisory during an interview session on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday.
He said, “Reject the prescriptions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.”
Meanwhile, the senior lawyer said Nigerians should be allowed to protest against injustice and inimical economic policies.
He said, “Nigerians should be allowed to protest against injustice and inimical economic policies. The government should move speedily to address the complaints of Nigerians and not read political motivations into them.”
The newspaper says that Nigeria’s oil output has risen month-on-month, MoM to 1.43 million barrels per day, bpd in January 2024, from 1.34 million bpd recorded in December 2023, indicating an increase of 6.9 per cent.
But on year-on- year, YoY, the nation’s output rose by 15.6 per cent to 1.43 million bpd in January 2024, from 1.23 million bpd recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.
The output excludes condensate, a light crude, which Nigeria has the capacity to produce between 300,000 bpd and 400,000 bpd, according to the Monthly Oil Market Reports, MOMRs of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, obtained by Vanguard.
The increase in output was attributed to some factors, especially the nation’s successful battle against oil theft, thus making Nigeria the highest African producer while Equatorial Guinea comes last with 54,000 bpd.
Checks by Vanguard confirmed that the nation’s 1.7 million bpd and $77 per barrel 2024 budget benchmark will likely be met if the current tempo is sustained in the coming months.
Meanwhile the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, has said that it has adopted measures that would tackle challenges facing the oil and gas sector and boost production in the country.
Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos while presenting a country address at the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, said Nigeria’s oil production currently averages 1.586 million barrels per day made up of 1.33mbpd liquid production and 256,000 condensate oil production.
GIK/APA
Nigeria: Press focuses on deadlocked Cost of living meeting between Govt, NLC, others
