Government and labour before making their moves.

“That meeting tomorrow (Monday) is very crucial, because marketers are ready to deploy CNG, but the outcome of that meeting will tell us whether the government is ready to give the support needed to make this initiative fruitful.

“We are very confident that with the deployment of CNG as a substitute to PMS, the harsh effect caused by petrol price hike would be addressed significantly,” Okonkwo stated on Sunday.

NLC’s benchmark

The NLC also stated on Sunday that it was expecting an increment in minimum wage from N30,000 to between N150,000 and N200,000.

It further urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that borders were re-opened to ensure smooth importation and exportation of food and farm products.

The National Treasurer, NLC, Hakeem Ambali, made the disclosure in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja.

When asked about the expectations of the NLC from today’s meeting, Ambali said, “We are saying that since petrol prices have increased by three folds, we expect minimum wage to be increased to a minimum of between N150,000 to N200,000.”

He said the expectation of the NLC was also that President Bola Tinubu would grant operational licenses for the creation of more modular refineries.

“We want a transparent agency to be set up to oversee these refineries. We don’t have to depend solely on multinationals. Already, we have some Nigerians who refine crude oil locally.

“Also, on the issue of energy, some Nigerians buy fuel for their generators and provide power for themselves, we want a review of the corrupt privatisation of the energy sector that gave generation and sale of energy to private individuals who have not added value to energy consumption in Nigeria,” he stated.

He said it was time for the government to look inward and see that these individuals were discharged for incompetence.

“Alternate power supplies like solar systems should also be put in place. When you travel to other countries like Israel, you see that solar energy is available there and cheaper and this is a clean energy alternative.

“We also want them to look into the transportation sector. We want the President to develop a master plan and provide a metro rail line for all the state capitals across the country. He should also open up the border and allow the free flow of market goods into Nigeria and outside Nigeria.

“The cost of running governance is too high. We also looked at that and we are of the opinion that the high cost of governance and number of appointments be brought down. We also believe that there should be a micro-credit scheme that should be put in place that will give loans to farmers and entrepreneurs at small digit rates,” he stated.

Labour demands palliatives

Amballi called for palliatives for Nigerians, as the price of consumables had skyrocketed.

Also speaking on the subject, the National Deputy President of the Trade Union Congress, Tommy Etim, urged the government to ensure that the requests in the charter of demands presented to the government were met.

“It is expected that the government will look into our positions. Since the removal of subsidies, workers have not been finding it funny, especially on the home front.

“Government must be fast in its actions. It is expected that by tomorrow, we would have reached a concrete agreement even as the negotiations continue,” he stated.

Asked whether the TUC would embark on strike if its demands were not met, replied, “Let us cross the bridge when we get there.”

Earlier, media reports said that during his inaugural speech at Eagle Square in Abuja, Tinubu said the era of subsidy on fuel had ended, adding that with the 2023 budget making no provision for fuel subsidy, further payment was no longer justifiable.

“Fuel subsidy is gone,” Tinubu had said. He said his government would instead channel funds into infrastructure and other areas to strengthen the economy.

The presidential pronouncement led to an almost instant resurgence of fuel queues across the country as Nigerians rushed to get the product.

Though Tinubu’s decision received backing from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the House of Representatives, it has since been resisted by the NLC and TUC.

According to organised labour, the President could not unilaterally take a decision on subsidy removal.

The TUC President, Festus Osifo, had also argued that there was a reason the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari pushed the “sensitive issue” to the new government.

The NLC and the TUC had announced an ultimatum to embark on strike, with the NLC mobilising its members for a nationwide strike.

Later, the labour unions suspended their planned strike, following an interim court order.

Prior to the order, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, during the union’s National Executive Council in Abuja, had given the government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited an ultimatum to revert to the old fuel price.

Ajaero had threatened that the failure of the government to meet the demands would lead to an indefinite protest by workers across the country. (The PUNCH)

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