WITH last week’s increase in the pump price of fuel, the organised labour has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against pushing Nigerians to the wall, saying no government has raped the country like the current administration. The labour leaders, in separate interviews with Sunday Tribune, said Buhari has lost touch with Nigerians as he has gone ahead to implement every negative policy Nigerians have rejected, noting that the citizenry is living on the edge already.

President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Quadri Olaleye said it is difficult for Nigerians to cope in this circumstance, adding “This is too daring; they have developed a thick skin that our pleas and cries no longer mean anything to them.”

“No government has raped this country like the present one; ironically it has enjoyed our understanding the most. They beat us and when we cry, they send security operatives after us or force us to pay a fine of N5 million for hate speech.

Our patience has run out,” Olaleye said. President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba described the decision of the government as the height of insensitivity, adding that Buhari has been taking Nigerians for granted with three increases in quick succession in three months.

Comrade Wabba described the price increase as a height of insensitivity and taken Nigerians for a ride for three increases to have happened in quick succession under “While condemning this in strongest terms, the NLC and its allies certainly take these rounds of increase as part of the exploitative tendencies targeted against the poor in this precarious time.

“What will happen is that we must have to organise actions to protest against this mysterious policy.” “We reject it in its entirety and we warn the government not to take Nigerians for a ride because we know that with this challenge now, the cost of goods and services will skyrocket.

“Already, how much is a bag of rice? It is more than a minimum wage now. You also know that a bag of maize is going for more than N22, 000. “Where are we heading to in this country? What do they want the poor to do?

And what is the rationale of all of these? Are they deliberately trying to push citizens to react?” he said. Both labour centres— the NLC and the TUC— said they are calling the meetings of their organs to take critical action on the development.

Comrade Olaleye said: “Do we still wonder why unemployment and insecurity have increased? This is disgustingly shameful. We urge the government to listen to the voice of reason and reverse the price immediately. “Congress is calling a meeting of its organs to take decisions on this obnoxious move,” he said. The NLC president also said: “We will do our meeting and take a decision. On any issue we drive, organs will meet and take a decision. That is how we operate.

“You are aware that any time there is an increase, the obvious fact is that cost of transportation will go up. (Sunday Tribune)

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