DESPITE the huge success of the on-going strike and mass protests against fuel subsidy removal and the killings that have attended the protests, the Federal Government has ignored labour and its civil society allies.
The Federal Government had set up a committee headed by Justice Alfa Belgore (retd) to meet with labour on the crisis even before the strike and mass protests started on Monday, but till last night, neither the Federal Government nor the committee had contacted labour.
The NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, the TUC President, Comrade Peter Esele and the NLC Acting General Secretary, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, told Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday that the government had not contacted them since the protest started.
Besides the Senate president, Senator David Mark and the Senate leadership who met the labour leadership late Monday night at the Apo residence of the Senate president, no effort has been made by the presidency or his committee to contact labour.
However, labour has insisted that it would not meet for any form of dialogue with the Federal Government or its committee on the issue without returning to a status quo.
Comrade Omar said labour would not go into any negotiation without reversing the fuel price to N65 per litre first, adding that that is the only condition to meet with government, stop the mass protest and call off the strike.
He insisted that there is no going back except the government reversed the pump price to N65 per litre, declaring that there will be no retreat, no surrender.
Omar reiterated that the aim of the protests and the strike was to get oil price reversed to N65.
He said: “The aim of the protests is for government to reverse this very obnoxious policy of fuel subsidy removal and petroleum price increase that is imposed on Nigerians. We must get it reversed. Everybody is calling on us to call off the strike and we said no, the only condition is for government to first reverse to N65 per litre. If they reverse, we will also reverse and call off the strike and mass protests.
“No government can stay the way they are staying right now for a long time; it is only a matter of time.”
Comrade Esele said: “We came out in support of N65 per litre. It is our responsibility to make sure that this is achieve. Some people say we should go and see Jonathan but what differences can that make. Unless the price is reversed, we are not calling off the strike or stopping the mass protest. As I said earlier, there is no negotiation until the first demand, which is the reversal to N65 per litre by the government is met.”
Comrade Lakemfa said: “We see these stories of meetings with the Federal Government as mischievous and part of government’s strategy to break the fuel hike protest.
“We restate categorically that the Labour Movement has no intention to hold any discussion with the Federal Government or any of its officials on the issue of increases in petrol prices until the price is reverted to N65 per litre to allow for a level playing field.”
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the Adamawa governorship election slated for January 14, to January 21.
The INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, said in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday that the election was postponed because of the prevailing situation in Adamawa State.
Jega said that the decision was taken after due consultations with relevant stakeholders in the state.
He said: “The governorship election will now hold on Saturday, January 21, instead of January 14, as earlier scheduled.
“INEC reassures all Nigerians, and Adamawa residents in particular, of its determination to conduct free, fair and credible election in the state.”
Jega said that INEC was working very closely with all stakeholders, including security agencies, to ensure a conducive environment for the conduct of the election.
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