Senate President Begs NLC, TUC to Abort National Protest Against Fuel Subsidies

Senate President Begs NLC, TUC to Abort National Protest Against Fuel Subsidies

Senate President Begs NLC, TUC to Abort National Protest Against Fuel Subsidies

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NewsReport gathered that Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate, has encouraged the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, to “abort” planned rallies over the Federal Government’s proposed elimination of fuel subsidies.

The planned nationwide protest, according to Lawan, is “completely needless.”

He made the request on Monday during a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, to discuss the Federal Government’s planned removal of petroleum product subsidies.

Lawan criticized the timing of the anticipated elimination of petroleum subsidy.

He stated that in as much as the administration and management of subsidies on petroleum products are flawed, President Muhammadu Buhari-led’s government believes that sufficient planning must be carried out before its eventual removal.

He said, “The position of everyone in government today is that admittedly, subsidy administration and management are flawed because of so many reasons.

“Admittedly, the burden is huge and massive and there is a need at one point to do away with the subsidy.

“Even though our economy is growing, we still have the challenge of getting things to be better for our people.

“A lot of us in this administration believe that the issue of removal of subsidy should be handled with the utmost care, especially that sufficient planning needs to be done.

“It is not about NLC, we are talking about every Nigerian. We are concerned beyond the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“I am taking this opportunity to appeal to the TUC and NLC to shelve this plan to go on strike or demonstration, it is totally unnecessary.

“There is not going to be a removal of subsidy, so there is no need for this. Please, let’s not create unnecessary tension where there should be none.

“I appeal to them using this medium, to please forget about this January 27, 2022, deadline because there is no need for any deadline.”