In response to speculations suggesting a possible withdrawal of its planned nationwide industrial action, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has refuted such claims.
The labour body declared that the only circumstance that would lead to a suspension of the strike is if the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) restore the status quo on the fuel subsidy removal issue.
The NLC made this declaration in an official statement issued on Sunday by Benson Upah, the Head of Information and Public Affairs.
The statement came as a direct response to an article published in a national newspaper on the same day. The NLC dismissed the report as laughable, deeming it a desperate attempt by adversaries to incite ethnic or regional divisions within the Nigeria Labour Congress regarding a matter that affects the entire nation.
Upah stressed that such notions only exist in the imagination of those trying to sow discord, as the Nigeria Labour Congress remains a unifying force driven by a shared national vision, mission, and values.
Regarding the impending strike, the NLC assured that all affiliate unions are firmly united in their commitment to its execution on Wednesday unless the NNPC and the government take appropriate action.
Upah further emphasised that sentiments based on religion, region, or ethnicity hold no place within the NLC.
According to Upah, “this scenario only plays in their imagination as Nigeria Labour Congress continues to be the biggest pan-Nigerian organisation united by a common vision/ mission and shared national values.”
“On the looming strike, we want to assure that all the affiliate unions of the Congress stand together with an unshakeable resolve to prosecute, come Wednesday, except the NNPC and Government do the needful.
“Whereas primordial sentiments such as religion, region or ethnicity may be refuge for some, at the Nigeria Labour Congress, they have no place. What counts for us are issues such as the mindless and criminal increase in the pump price of pms whose burden will be borne by the already impoverished communities of the poor across Nigeria,” it stated.
The body firmly stated that the impact of this detrimental policy would affect all regions of the country, and thus there is no justification for any region to abstain from the strike.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu, in his inaugural speech, proclaimed the end of petroleum product subsidies, a decision that has generated significant hardship within Nigerian society since May 29, 2023.
