APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The report that the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have suspended the proposed strike scheduled for Wednesday, June 5 after meeting with government officials at the Presidential Villa in Abuja dominates the headlines of Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday.
The Guardian reports that the Nigerian labour unions have suspended the proposed strike scheduled for Wednesday, June 5 after meeting with government officials at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Both parties met for two days but no resolution was met to halt the proposed industrial action.
Labour unions are opposing the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, causing petrol prices to jump over N500 per litre in different parts of the country.
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero and his team arrived at the presidential villa at about 5:45 pm on Monday.
The NLC was absent at the meeting between the government representatives and organised labour on Sunday.
Representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) were however in attendance.
The Federal government representatives at the meeting on Monday included House of Reps speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, Dele Alake, spokesperson for the government’s delegation; group CEO of NNPCL Mele Kyari, former governor of Edo state Adams Oshiomhole and former governor of Ogun State Ibikunle Amosun.
The newspaper says that the Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) office in Nigeria, Ari Aisen, has said that Nigeria needs to efficiently raise revenues and manage its expenditure if it wishes to resolve its debt issues.
Aisen made this remark at the Proshare WebTV online event organised recently. Corroborating the Debt Management Office’s (DMO) position on the need for Nigeria to address current revenue shortfalls, Aisen said, “The DMO is just trying to do its best in terms of financing the spending needs of the government. However, it is very clear that to resolve the debt issue of Nigeria, there is a need to concentrate on revenues and expenditures.”
He further explained that Nigeria’s high expenditure on its low revenue base is contributing to the country’s rising debt.
According to him, “Nigeria’s debt position has deteriorated because the government is spending more than it’s getting in revenues.”
He advocated for fiscal discipline, highlighting that it was a major way to reduce excessive spending and ultimately address Nigeria’s current debt position.
“Fiscal discipline requires, as in any household, that you cannot permanently spend beyond what you raise in revenues simply because it becomes unsustainable. You must rely more on your revenues, to finance your expenditures,” Aisen said.
The IMF resident representative tasked Nigeria to efficiently target its spending towards enhancing social welfare and improving the standard of living. He however, noted the importance of revenues for infrastructural development, improving social welfare and avoidance of issues relating to Ways and Means Advances.
The Punch reports that at least 78 Nigerians have been killed and 12 abducted in violent attacks across the country since President Bola Tinubu took the oath of office.
The incidents happened in Rivers, Zamfara, Kaduna, Ogun, Sokoto, and the Federal Capital Territory.
This was contained in data obtained from the Nigeria Security Tracker, a project of the Council on Foreign Relations.
The reported noted that gunmen killed four and beheaded two persons in Rivers on May 29.
On May 30, bandits killed a vigilante leader and 24 others in Zamfara. Also, on May 30, two APC women leaders were kidnapped after attending the Kaduna governor’s inauguration.
On the same day, bandits killed a man and kidnapped his wife, and four kids in Kaduna. Also, on May 30, suspected cultists killed six persons in Rivers communities.
On May 31, gunmen in camouflage attacked an Ogun farm, killed three and abducted two. In Abuja, gunmen kidnapped four on June 4, 2023.
On Sunday, bandits killed 37 over refusal to pay levy in Sokoto.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Musa Danmadami, did not pick up his calls.
He had yet to respond to a text message sent to his line by our correspondent.
A security expert, Timothy Avele, said the recent killings and abductions in the country were a call for the President to act fast to address the menace,
Avele said, “It simply means he is running out of time. The security structure must be immediately reset and the head of the security agencies must be kept on their toes.”
The newspaper says that the Nigeria Labour Congress has kicked against a court order secured by the Federal Government restraining the union and the Trade Union Congress from embarking on a planned nationwide strike over the removal of fuel subsidy.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said the strike would go on Wednesday as planned, noting that the labour centre was not aware of the court order stopping the industrial action.
Justice O. Y. Anuwe of the National Industrial Court handed down the order against the NLC and TUC 48 hours before the commencement of the industrial action as the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba met with police managers in Abuja where he ordered them to carry out effective deployments to prevent hoodlums from hijacking the protests.
Speaking to The PUNCH while taking a break during a meeting with government officials at the Presidential Villa on Monday, Ajaero said, “The industrial court order came late after the close of business today. So the NLC is not aware of it and it is not even mentioned in the meeting. By tomorrow (today), they won’t find anybody at the NLC office to serve it to because, by then, we will all be on the field mobilising for the strike.”
The NLC had told The PUNCH earlier on Monday that the strike action would be for an indefinite period.
Responding to a question on the duration of the strike, the National Treasurer of NLC, Akeem Hambali simply said, ‘’It is indefinite for now.”
Asked whether there was a plan to shelve the action, he said, “Strike will commence on Wednesday except otherwise directed by the National Executive Council.”
But in a last-ditch move to avert the strike, the government again called for a meeting with the NLC leaders at the Presidential Villa. The meeting was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
The government representatives had on Wednesday last week met both the NLC and Trade Union Congress leaders, but the meeting ended in a deadlock.
The NLC was however absent from the meeting the government held with the labour leaders on Sunday.
But the FG on Monday obtained a court order stopping the strike. In the suit filed by the FG, the court held that the industrial action, “if not circumvented’’ is capable of disrupting economic activities and essential sectors from carrying out vital functions.
Justice Anuwe specifically barred the NLC and the TUC from “embarking on the planned industrial action/or strike of any nature, pending the determination of the motion on notice dated 5th June 2023.”
GIK/APA
Press spotlights suspension of planned strike by organised labour, others
Previous ArticleAfrica eyes prime position in global gas market