The federal government has called another meeting at the Presidential Villa with members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress to discuss the withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
The meeting, which is scheduled for today, comes five days after a previous meeting on the same subject ended in a deadlock.
President Bola Tinubu stated during his inaugural speech on May 29 that “the fuel subsidy is gone.”
The president’s announcement instantly resulted in long lines at petrol stations and an increase in the product’s pump price across the country.
President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Osifo, told state house correspondents after the first meeting that the government must return to the old price of petrol or workers will embark on a nationwide strike billed to commence next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), in a memo dated June 2 and signed by its general secretary, Dominic Igwebike, also announced that its members would join the strike.
The federal government representatives at the last meeting included Dele Alake, spokesperson for the government’s delegation; Group CEO of NNPCL Mele Kyari; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele; and Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Edo State.
