Fuel Subsidy Removal: Explain Your Whereabouts When The Budget Was Prepared – Northern Groups Knocks NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has come under fire for its position on the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has knocked the Labour Union for kicking against the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, Naija News gathered.

The coalition questioned the NLC over its whereabouts when the federal government prepared, presented and defended this year’s budget.

According to the spokesperson of the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the NLC from their action think they are defending the interest of the people.

He claimed that the group has observed that on every occasion, the NLC would deceive the public into believing they are protecting their interests, only to betray the course and negotiate with the government at the expense of the suffering masses.

Suleiman, in a statement issued Thursday, recalls that the first instance was the NLC protests over the harsh economic policies of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in February 2017 which came to an abrupt end without achieving any results and no convincing explanation to the public.

The group added that “Then came the September 2018 strike, which was also terminated after the NLC met with government officials and compromised the effort with no effect.

“The worst scenario was the October 2020 organised labour plan to shut down the entire economy in protest over the increase in the pump price of petrol and a hike in electricity tariff.”

The group noted the strike was called off at the last minute after a meeting between government officials and labour leaders in Abuja.

It advanced by saying it took exception to the move by labour at that time, describing it as a huge trade-off and compromise in its strongly worded letter of October 6, 2021.

“Now that NLC wants to take the nation for granted once more, we demand that it should first of all explain its whereabouts at the time the budget was prepared, presented, defended by the government of the former president Muhammadu Buhari and passed by the 9th National Assembly without the provision for subsidy,” the group added.