Rivers Governor, Mr? Chibuike? Amaechi,? says the removal of fuel subsidy by President? Goodluck Jonathan is to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
?Amaechi stated this while addressing a rally organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and civil society groups in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
?He said Jonathn has good intentions for the country in spite of the deregulation of the petroleum sector.
?“If you we don't support the President to remove oil subsidy, we will not even be able to buy clothes because the dollar will escalate to N250 per dollar.
?“That is what the thing is going to. So, the President is not a wicked man, he is on a rescue mission.
?“Let me tell you, which president will not be taking that kind of a decision in this very difficult moment of Nigerian history.
?“There is Boko Haram going on, we know you will come out, you will demonstrate, you will cripple the economy, which President can do that if he is not seeing danger in front.
?“It is not a wrong decision, because you must convey this message to our leadership of labour in Abuja that they must join us.”
?Amaechi said that his administration would focus on Agriculture to employ more people.
?“So, I will plead with labour to please bear with the President. You do not have two countries, you have just one country.
?“The challenge of this country today is the sectarian killings in the country and labour should not be part of it by doing what they are doing now because if you confuse the sectarian killings to the oil subsidy crisis, we will run into trouble.
?“I will plead with labour to sympathise with both the Governors and? the President? ,even assume that we are bad people, for once trust us.”
?Earlier, the NLC Chairman in the state, Comrade Chris Oruge, had told the Governor to convey the workers rejection of subsidy removal to the president.
“We want you to carry? our message? to our brother , the President,? Dr? Goodluck? Ebele Jonathan, that labour’s? request is that the N65.00 should be reverted to and then you invite labour to a dialogue.
?“It is not that we do not have respect for our brother. People are suffering. We have come here to express our deep feelings against the removal. We are peace loving people.”
“In his remarks, the TUC chairman,Comrade Chika Onuegbu, urged Gov. Amaechi to use his position as the chairman of the Nigerian governors forum to persuade President Jonathan to revert to the old price of fuel.
Onuegbu said Nigerian people rejected the subsidy removal and the increase in pump price of fuel.
“On behalf of the Nigerian people, we want to appeal to? Mr President to listen to the Nigerian people and listen to us and revert the price of fuel to N65.00 per litre. Congress, I hope I have said your mind.”
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