By Miriam Humbe
In view of the subsidy removal, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ) rose from an emergency meeting of its Central Working Committee, (CWC) on Saturday with the resolve to withdraw their services from Wednesday next week in solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC).
The NUJ National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman said this in a statement signed on Saturday.
The NLC had on Friday, directed all its Chapters in the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, to embark on a strike and protests resulting from the fuel subsidy removal and price hikes by the President Bola Tinubu administration.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, the NLC described the sudden increase in the price of petroleum products as fraudulent.
The NUJ’s Central Working Committee therefore directed all State Councils of the Union to mobilise members to withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide from Wednesday next week, 7th June, 2023, if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNCPL) refused to reverse the new price regime in the oil sector.
Here’s a full text of the statement by the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Central Working Committee:
An emergency Central Working Committee meeting of the Union was convened online today, Saturday, June 3, 2023, to discuss issues surrounding the decision by the Federal Government to remove Fuel Subsidy and the position taken by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
After presentations by the National President, Chris Isiguzo, and the National Treasurer Bamidele Atunbi on the position taken by NLC on the matter, members unanimously adopted the position of NLC on the issue.
CWC reiterates the argument that although the removal of fuel subsidy will free allocations which can be channeled to the provisions of infrastructure and creation of additional jobs, the sudden removal could however lead to social unrests and protests as people may perceive Government as being insensitive to their plight.
CWC also notes that already there is an astronomical increase in the prices of petroleum products and high inflation which have drastically reduced the purchasing power of citizens.
Accordingly CWC directs all State Councils of the Union to mobilise members to withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide from Wednesday next week, 7th June, 2023, if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNCPL) refuses to reverse the new price regime in the oil sector.
