Labour opposes fuel subsidy removal, Mark, Tambuwal shun rally

The organised labour on Friday kicked against the non-provision for fuel subsidy in the 2015 national budget which was just passed by the National Assembly, warning that it could plunge the country into “unnecessary crisis”.

Labour made this known at this year’s May Day Celebration held at the Eagle’s Square in Abuja, where President Goodluck Jonathan was represented by the Minister of Labour, Senator Joel Ikenya.

Factional presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, and Trade Union Congress, Bobboi Kaigama, spoke for Labour at the event, with the theme, ‘The working class, democratic consolidation and economic revival: Charting the way to national rebirth’.

They said the event coincided with the one year anniversary of the attack by the insurgent group, Boko Haram, in Nyanya, an outskirt of Abuja, in which some workers returning home  from the last year’s May Day celebration lost their lives.

They recalled that similar “booby-trap” of non-provision for fuel subsidy in the budget was set for the then new administration of the late President Umar Yar’Adua.

They warned that “similar mischief” in 2007 resulted in a nationwide strike in just one month in the life of the Yar’Adua-led government.

They also disclosed their intention to engage the incoming administration on the need to increase the national minimum wage as soon as it was inaugurated.

They condemned the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa and asked the incoming administration of the President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, to address insecurity and problems in the power sector, rescue the Chibok girls, increase workers’ salary, fight corruption, and reduce cost of governance, among others.

Senate President David Mark, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, who were both scheduled to deliver goodwill messages at the event, were absent and did not send representatives.