Barely 24 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared total removal of fuel subsidy, many reactions, developments and moves by various stakeholders have trailed the announcement. Frontally among the latest moves is the resolve by Tinubu himself calling the leadership of the organised labour bodies: Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Labour Congress for a meeting.
In order to douse the brewing tension within the labour circle and anxiety among members of the public, The Eagle Online learnt that Tinubu has invited the leadership of the TUC and NLC to the Aso Rock Villa for a jaw-jaw, as well as to seek understanding and amicable resolutions with Labour leaders on the trending issue. Some sources said the meeting may hold as early as 7pm on Tuesday (today), if it works out as planned.
Recall that on Monday, President Tinubu declared in his inaugural speech that fuel subsidy “is gone”. He explained that the humongous sum being spent on subsidy would be subsequently diverted to develop health, education and other key sectors.
However, what followed the announcement was an outrageous hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise called petrol. It was learnt that a litre of the product is now being sold as high as over N600 in a lot of states. In Anambra State for instance, residents lamented on Tuesday about the not less than 200 per cent hike in the price of fuel by the marketers. Ebonyi State appears to be the worst, with the product being dispensed by some outlets for as much as N1,200 per litre.
Although, many have speculated that Tinubu would pronounce the removal of fuel subsidy as the Petroleum Industry Act was expected to come into full force by July 2023. Also, the outgone government of former President Muhammadu Buhari did not make any provision for subsidy in this year’s budget. There were clear indications that if subsidy was sustained, the country will need not less than N6 trillion this year to pay marketers.
The announcement by President Tinubu accounted for the queues observed at some petrol stations over weekend and up till press time on Tuesday in major cities across the country. The queue is now full blown as many marketers, as usual, have refused to sell, leaving the very few selling to be besieged by the anxious and panicking customers.
Most significantly, the meeting at the instance of President Tinubu might not be unconnected with the threat of showdown between the Federal Government and Organised Labour. For instance, the TUC in a statement signed on Monday by its National President, Comrade Festus Osifo, and Secretary-General, Comrade Nuhu Toro, groused that despite being encouraged by President Tinubu’s pledge to work harmoniously with workers and their leaders, the Labour leaders were subsequently horrified when he announced the withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products.
The statement said: “If by this, he means increases in pump price and the exploitation of the people by unregulated and exploitative deregulated prices, then it’s a joke taken too far. It is not for nothing the Buhari government pushed this to the new administration, but we expect the Tinubu government to be wise on such a sensitive issue and be more explicit in its pronouncement to avoid contradictory interpretation when comparing his written statement, what he said and the provision in 2023 appropriation act. We dare say that this is a very delicate issue that touches on the lives, if not very survival, of particularly the working people, hence ought to have been treated with utmost caution, and should have been preceded by robust dialogue and consultation with, the representatives of the working people, including professionals, market people, students and the poor masses.”
Consequently, the TUC demanded that President Tinubu should tarry awhile to give room for robust dialogue and consultation and stakeholders engagement, just as he opined in his speech, until all issues and questions – and there are a host of them – are amicably considered and resolved. Nigerian Workers and indeed masses must not be made to suffer the inefficiency of successive governments. The proposed meeting, it is believed, is meant to clarify some aspects of the raging controversy.
Tinubu in his inaugural speech stated that the 2023 budget did not provide for subsidy. It was also indicated in another quarter that the full implementation of the removal is not immediate, rather to be effective from June ending.
What follows after Tinubu’s proposed meeting with labour Union Leaders is unpredictable. Still, whatever the outcome, Nigerians have been exposed to another round of fuel scarcity anguish, worry and lamentation in the last 24 hours or more.
This, certainly, is too early an agony for Nigerians to witness with a new administration barely 48 hours in power. Obviously, Tinubu must act very fast to nip in the bud the imminent crisis before it escalates beyond expectations!
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