Before he spoke, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim who led a delegation to the meeting said government would not negotiate unless labour calls off its strike.
Earlier at the State House in Abuja, Information Minister Labaran Maku said government would engage labour but never about subsidy removal. Its like the more the strike lasts, the more FG gains the upper hand and labour's resolve is being weakened. meanwhile, I heard contrary to the public position yesterday, Pengassan has notified all branches to carry on with work as normal. |
Talks between government and labour unions to end the subsidy crisis faltered yesterday as the Federal Government rejected to consider marginal return of subsidy agreed by labour as a condition to end the protests.
Labour unions said they offered to accept “price adjustment”, meaning to restore some subsidy such that petrol price would be reduced but not back to the original N65 per litre, but the Federal Government said subsidy removal was non-negotiable.
At a mediation meeting convened by a House of Representatives committee in Abuja yesterday, NLC president Abdulwaheed Omar said labour offered some concessions by agreeing to “price adjustment” that Nigerians will be comfortable with but the government remained adamant.
“We believe in Nigeria, may be because we down here there is no any other place for us to go and Nigeria has to be good for us to live,” he said. Omar said President Goodluck Jonathan was not in tune with the reality because his aides were not telling him the truth.
Before he spoke, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim who led a delegation to the meeting said government would not negotiate unless labour calls off its strike.
Earlier at the State House in Abuja, Information Minister Labaran Maku said government would engage labour but never about subsidy removal.
At the start of the House-convened talks, Anyim said, “I think the agenda of this meeting has changed. The mayhem carried out in Niger State and other parts of the country suggested that although labour provided the platform for the protest and violence, the whole issue had gone beyond labour. We should respect the sanctity of lives. The socio-political environment must be calm before any meaningful dialogue can take place.”
Labour minister Emeka Nwogu also said, “It’s clear that other people have taken over the process to cause mayhem and labour is now helpless.”
But president of the Trades Union Congress Peter Esele said, “Comments emanating from government officials (are) capable of inciting negative reactions from the people. However, those who have political issues should not use this strike as a platform to settle political issues, and we have concluded that it is N65 or nothing else.”
House mediation committee chairman Patrick Ikhariale (PDP, Edo) said government was to blame for the violence because “three, four weeks ago we never had anything of this nature and we must find a middle ground since it’s not a personal matter.”
Speaking earlier, chairman of the Federal Government’s negotiating team Justice Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore said the prevailing crisis was capable of disintegrating Nigeria.
The meeting ended at about 9pm, and Rep. Ikhariale said there was no agreement reached but that another meeting had been scheduled for 5pm today.
NLC president Omar also said there was no truce but negotiations would continue today. Anyim and Wogu left the meeting venue without uttering a word to journalists.
A member of the House committee Aminu Suleiman Fagge (PDP, Kano) said the two sides took very extreme positions. “But we have asked the two sides to go back and consult for today’s meeting but we are hopeful that we will broker a truce,” he said.
Yesterday’s meeting involving labour and government was the second of its kind with the first one convened by the Senate on Tuesday, aimed at ending the indefinite strike and mass protests which shut down government and businesses in the country since the start of the week.
Speaking at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja yesterday, Maku said the issue reversing subsidy removal was not a subject for discussion with any group.
“The Federal Government has made it clear that it is ready to dialogue with organised labour leaders but not on the issue of reversing the fuel subsidy removal,” he said.
Meanwhile, protests went on yesterday as tens of thousands rallied in major cities across the country.
In Niger State, a round-the-clock curfew was imposed after the protests against subsidy removal turned violent leading to burning of government offices and vehicles.
The protesters set fire to the state secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) along with eight vehicles, campaign office of Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, office of the deputy PDP chairman and the home of Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta.
One of the protesters named Bala told Daily Trust that the violence was the result of government’s insistence of petrol subsidy removal. “If it will take us to the next three months of struggle, I am ready to sacrifice myself and I am ready to trek down to Abuja to protest the removal of fuel subsidy,” he said.
State Police Commissioner Ibrahim Maishanu said following the violence in the state capital, a 24-hour curfew was declared throughout the state.
In Kaduna, a group of protesters led by activist Shehu Sani rallied in spite of the 24-hour curfew imposed on Tuesday.
Sani, who is president of the Civil Right Congress, led other activists from the Gamji Gate through the streets to the Lugard Hall roundabout, hub of anti-fuel subsidy protests.
Speaking to journalists, Sani said he decided to defy the curfew because the state governor lacks the constitutional power to impose it. “We are breaking this curfew today (Wednesday) because we consider the curfew as a state violation of our fundamental right to protest… This protest is non-violent. It is unprecedented and historic in the annals of Kaduna state and Nigeria,” he said.
In Enugu, the state chairman of NLC Festus Ozoeze was yesterday arrested by the police, tried by a mobile court and remanded at the Enugu prisons for attempting to implement the nationwide strike in spite of government ban.
Governor Sullivan Chime ordered the setting up of the special court to try any worker found to have violated his order banning public assemblies, meetings and procession in the state.
Ozoeze was tried by Magistrate Mba at the premises of the Police CID over alleged conspiracy and breach of public peace.
State Chairman of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Igbokwe Chukwuma condemned the arrest and detention of the NLC chairman. “This is something we cannot take. We have met and decided to see the Attorney-General to register our protest; we are also in touch with the labour headquarters,” he said.
[size=14pt]
Meanwhile, the biggest oil workers’ union said it was putting oil platforms on red alert in preparation for shutting down output as part of the nationwide protest against the axing of petrol subsidy.
“Now that the Federal Government has decided to be callous minded, we hereby direct all production platforms to be on red alert in preparation for total production shutdown,” a statement from oil union PENGASSAN said.[/size]
its on now. what a bunch of morons in govt. they refused the olive branch, now let them bear the consequences. the good for nothings have no idea how much anger is in the country and the hornets nest they have stirred up. |
