The representatives of the organised labour stormed out of a crucial meeting with the Presidential Steering Committee on subsidy palliatives at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting, which aimed to address the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians, ended in disarray as the labour delegation accused the federal government of deception and lack of preparedness.
Led by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, the labour delegation arrived at the Chief of Staff’s office, the meeting venue, at 5 pm on Friday.
However, they soon emerged from the building, expressing their frustration with the government’s handling of the discussions.
The Steering Committee had previously met with the government delegation on Wednesday, and both parties agreed to reconvene on Friday to receive briefings from the FG’s subcommittees on Mass Transit, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and Cash Transfer.
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These subcommittees were tasked with devising intervention plans to alleviate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
Despite the planned reconvening, the labour representatives alleged that the government was ill-prepared and lacked the required quorum for the meeting.
A member of the Steering Committee from labour, speaking anonymously, stated that the government was using the meetings as a cover to deceive the Nigerian public.
“In their (FG’s) introductory remarks, they made excuses and wanted the meeting to continue; the meeting did not form a quorum. We are a people that operate on the basis of process. So, if there’s no quorum in a meeting, what do you do? You will adjourn for lack of quorum,” the labour representative explained.
The labour delegation’s entry into the State House was further delayed due to clearance issues, as their names were not sent to the gate early enough for processing.
While the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other government team members waited for their arrival, the labour representatives expressed their frustration at being “detained at the gate.”
Friday’s meeting would have marked the fourth in a series of discussions between the FG and organised labour since the fuel subsidy removal.
However, the talks have not been able to deter the organised labour from proceeding with their planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 2, as they maintain that the hardship faced by Nigerians necessitates such action.
On the other hand, the Federal Government claims that progress has been made during the previous meetings.
The Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Ms Olu Verheijen, stated that the focus has been on fast-tracking interventions related to CNG, mass transportation, and cleaner energy to alleviate the impact of increased transportation costs.
