By Ononye VC
Reports reaching Trinitas News Desk say the federal capital territory (Abuja), it’s environs and other major cities in Nigeria have been crippled or deserted by the protest called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)over the pains meted to Nigerians by the removal of oil subsidy.
The protest began after a two-day meeting between the Federal Government and the organised labour ended in a deadlock on Tuesday, with the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress leaders vowing to begin a nationwide protest against the removal of fuel subsidy.
This came as oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association began an indefinite strike on Tuesday, citing inhumane treatment by the management of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, an agency of the Federal Government.
The strike and planned protest by the organised labour slated for last Wednesday over the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government apparently shut down the country and paralysed the economy.
Oil workers had earlier on Tuesday staged a protest and shut down the commission’s office in Lagos, while also vowing to shut down the agency’s offices nationwide.
Speaking on the planned strike on Tuesday, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the organised labour had no reason to suspend the planned national protests and strike.
Ajaero spoke a few hours after another round of meeting of the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives held at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, deadlocked.
“We have no reason to call off the planned protests. If we suspend or call it off, you will know. I can tell you that the mobilisation is very high,” Ajaero said in response to questions from journalists.
The Federal Government had in a last-ditch effort to avert the strike met with the NLC and TUC leaders on Monday but the parley also failed to reach any resolution.
The PUNCH reports that the Federal Government and the organised labour have been at loggerheads following the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu on May 29,2023.
Early in the morning on 2nd August 2023,report from Lagos said
the organised labour assembled at Ikeja under-bridge earlier in the morning and were marching to the state House of Assembly.
The procession resulted in a gridlock in the area and motorists found it difficult to moving freely.
The protesters were carrying banners calling for reversal of the removal of oil subsidy.
