The announcement by President Bola Tinubu that “fuel subsidy is gone”, has almost thrown the country into chaos.
Shortly after Tinubu’s announcement, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) increased the price of petrol across the country.
Many persons are now left with no choice other than to trek to their place of work.
The current situation has stirred so much controversy.
Many persons believe President Tinubu is responsible for what the masses are facing.
Now, barely six days in office, the baby administration of Tinubu has been threatened with an industrial strike action by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
This is certainly not a good start for the Bola Tinubu led government bearing in mind the numerous promises he made to Nigerians.
On the other hand, some believe Tinubu has nothing to do with current situation.
These category of persons blame the petrol marketers, to them, they are the real issue.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayo Onanuga is one of such people.
The NLC Strike
Onanuga has urged workers to shun the directive from the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, asking them to go on strike next Wednesday over the removal of fuel subsidy.
He believes the strike action is politically motivated.
Onanuga alleges that the NLC president was acting the script of the Labour Party (LP).
Thier aim is to destabilize the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The APC stalwart wondered the reason Ajaero did not oppose the LP and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi who also promised to remove the petrol subsidy.
He called on the Nigerian people and workers to “support the government as it works out new wages and rolls out other interventions, as promised by the President, to mitigate the effects of new fuel price.”
Why Subsidy Should Have Been Scrapped
“NLC President Joe Ajaero has asked workers to go on strike next Wednesday over the removal of petrol subsidy.
Despite being privy to the distressing financial figures, which justified why subsidy ought to have been scrapped a long time ago.
My advice to the perceptive workers and the Nigerian populace is simply to ignore Ajaero and his ilk.
He is playing politics and is actually acting the script of the opposition Labour Party.
Ajaero is out to destabilise the young Tinubu administration.
Ajaero’s Interest
“Besides, one wonders whose interest Ajaero is championing.
He did not oppose the position of his Labour Party and presidential candidate, who campaigned with the promise to scrap subsidy from Day one if elected.
“NLC and TUC leaders knew since last year November that subsidy will be scrapped from July 1 as no provision has been made in the budget for it, beyond this date.
“The Federal Government which already commits 96 percent of its revenue in servicing debt is not in any position to continue selling subsidised fuel.
Most of this fuel is smuggled across our borders for criminal and obscenely unpatriotic profit.
FG Is Broke
“Subsidy of fuel is no longer unsustainable as the FG is virtually broke.
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Apart from its N77 trillion debt, it also owes NNPC Limited about N2.4trillion for past subsidies.
“The Nigerian people and workers should support the government as it works out new wages and rolls out other interventions, as promised by President Tinubu, to mitigate the effects of the new fuel price.
Let’s not make ourselves pawns in the hands of the politically biased and tainted NLC and TUC. Ajaero is no more a labour leader.
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He is a politician and leader of the Labour Party. He is no more representing all the Nigerian workers.”
