Why We Called off the Protests-NLC and TUC

Organised Labour announced, Wednesday night, that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration had made strong commitments on the extant issues that provoked Wednesday’s nationwide protests.

This was contained in a statement issued at the end of a meeting that President Tinubu had with the leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, at the State House, Abuja.

The joint statement was signed by Comrade Joe Ajaero, NLC President, as well as Comrade Festus Osifo, TUC President.

Rising from the session with the President, the labour leaders said “The engagement was fruitful that immense mileage was gotten with regards to the issues that bogged down the work of the Presidential Committee on Subsidy removal and necessitated the protest viz:

1. He committed to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engagement in line with the input of the Labour leaders
2. He let out a certainty that the Port Harcourt Refinery will commence production by December this year.
3. He pledged to ensure that Agreement is reached on the Wage Award for Nigerian workers immediately.
4. He promised to unveil a workable roadmap to the CNG alternative next week.

On the strength of the President’s pledge and commitment, we have decided for a return to a new and reinvigorated dialogue process to allow for full implementation.”