The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday said that the planned removal of fuel subsidy in January 2012 by the government will lead to serious revolt, because Nigerians will be left without any option than to openly kick against the anti-people policy.
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President of NLC Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar who spoke at the opening ceremony of Harmattan School of the Congress in Kaduna, however, warned that NLC would mobilise Nigerians for the action and called on Nigerians to take their destiny in their hands.
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Omar also described as unacceptable that the July 19, 2011, agreement on minimum wage is yet to be implemented after four months, stressing that President Jonathan’s plan to devalue the currency will further spell doom for the country.
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The union leader however declared that the congress will oppose any government policy that tends to further impoverish the Nigerian people.
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NLC also demands that the Jonathan administration withdraws the armed soldiers it sent to occupy the corporate headquarters of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), the Katampe, Wuse Zone 4 and Apo transmission stations in Abuja, the Olorunsogo centre, Ondo State, Ayede, the Egbin Power Station, the National Control Centre, Oshogbo and the Oshogbo Work Centre.
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He added that “the NLC and TUC signed an agreement with the federal government on July 19, 2011, on the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage.?? It was agreed that the implementation will commence from August 2011 with arrears paid from March 23, 2011.? But as I speak to you four months later, the federal government has failed or refused to implement this agreement. It appears that elements within government with suicidal instincts want to provoke a general strike and mass protests on this issue.
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“These elements also seem to be responsible for other provocative government programmes such as a proposal to hike electricity tariff by 100 per cent, re-impose tollgates for un-motorable roads, and through a dubious constitutional amendment, annul the National Minimum Wage Act so that states and private employers can pay starvation wages.? The NLC will never allow this to happen.
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“The President Goodluck Jonathan administration is also deliberately devaluing the currency in order to devalue the N18,000 national minimum wage and as part of its poverty-inducing measures.? As we have stated elsewhere, government’s insistence to hike fuel prices by 120 per cent will further complicate matters for a hungry citizenry that has to cope with growing mass unemployment and a nonexistent social security.