TUC Condemns Tinubu’s Statement, Says President Cannot Unilaterally Remove Fuel Subsidy

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC said it was taken aback when the President Bola Tinubu said that fuel subsidy is gone in his inaugural speech on Monday.
TUC in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Festus Osifo and Secretary General, Comrade Nuhu Toro, said the issue of fuel subsidy ” is a very delicate issue that touches on the lives, if not very survival, of particularly the working people, hence ought to have been treated with utmost caution, and should have been preceded by robust dialogue and consultation with, the representatives of the working people, including professionals, market people, students and the poor masses.”

But we were subsequently taken aback, even horrified, when he announced the withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products, if by this, he means increases in pump price and the exploitation of the people by unregulated and exploitative deregulated prices, then it’s a joke taken too far. It is not for nothing the Buhari government pushed this to the new administration, but we expect the Tinubu government to be wise on such a sensitive issue and be more explicit in its pronouncement to avoid contradictory interpretation when comparing his written statement, what he said and the provision in 2023 appropriation act.
TUC said it demands that President Tinubu should tarry awhile to give room for robust dialogue and consultation and stakeholders engagement just as he opined in his speech until all issues and questions – and there are a host of them! – to ensure that they are amicably considered and resolved.
TUC said “Nigerian Workers and indeed mases must not be made to suffer the inefficiency of successive governments. We are also worried that in his speech President Tinubu failed to delve into or reveal his plans on how to tackle and address the issue of poor and unchecked deterioration in industrial relations, particularly in the education, health and judiciary sectors, often resulting in prolonged strike and Industrial actions and their attendant adverse effects on society and the economy. A case in point is the current nationwide strike by JOHESU.
“If there was anything for the administration to hurriedly address from day one in office, it’s the abysmal N30,000 minimum wage that has since been eroded by the problematic monetary and fiscal policies of government.
“The Labour Movement is open and ready to dialogue with the Tinubu administration on the fuel subsidy issue and we urge it in the interest of the country and its people not to dictate on such a matter or engage in manipulating the outcome of such consultations,” the union said.
TUC said it identifies with the new government’s declaration that it will defend the nation from terror and all forms of criminality that threaten peace and stability, but suggests that in its promised review of our security architecture, a more robust method of defending the country by involving the mass of the people, and empowering them to defend themselves when attacked by bandits and terrorists.
Further it said the new government’s promise to engage in job creation, food security and end extreme poverty is encouraging and urge it to involve organized labour, employers of labour, professional organisations and the informal sector, so that these programmes would not become mere propaganda in which unverifiable statistics would be churned out periodically.
The Congress said it welcomes the promise to make electricity accessible and affordable to businesses and homes and, suggests that the Tinubu government begins by stopping the periodic arbitrary increases in price of electricity imposed by the distribution companies while regulatory and consumer agencies look away.
“This new administration cannot be seen to be speaking from both sides of its mouth, we urge President Tinubu to be a president with human face”, TUC said.