Subsidy removal: AbdulRazaq heads NEC’s committee to negotiate with labour

Subsidy removal: AbdulRazaq heads NEC’s committee to negotiate with labour

 The national economic council (NEC) says it has set up a
five-man committee to negotiate with the leadership of labour unions in the
country to resolve the crisis relating to the removal of the petrol subsidy.

 

The NEC is made up of governors of the 36 states, the
governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other co-opted government
officials.

 

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, at the end of the council’s
meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Babagana Zulum, governor of
Borno, said NEC has also asked state governments to dialogue with the unions.

 

“A committee made up of Anambra state governor, Nigeria
Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairman and others have been nominated to interface
with labour,” Zulum told State House correspondents.

 

Other members of the committee are Hope Uzodinma, governor
of Imo; Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and Alex Otti of Abia state.

 

“NEC is calling on Nigerians and labour to be calm and
law-abiding as the president is determined to address the issues at hand,”
Zulum added.

 

On Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said it would
mobilise its members to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike if the
current price of petrol increases.

 

On several occasions, organised labour had criticised the
hike in the price of petrol, saying the federal government must provide
palliatives for workers over the removal of subsidy.

 

Speaking on the measures being taken by the government to
ease the burden of the subsidy removal on Nigerians, the Borno governor said
the N5 billion subsidy palliative announced for each state is for the
procurement of food items and fertilisers.

 

He said states are to purchase 100,000 bags of rice, and
40,000 bags of maize, among other items.

 

“In order to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, the
federal government released five trucks of rice to each state last week,” he
said.

 

 “Furthermore, in
order to cushion the effect of food shortages across the country, the federal
government has approved the sum of N5 billion to be given to each state for the
procurement of 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize and fertilizers.

 

“This funding has to be shared with a formula as follows: 52
percent of this money is given to States as grants, while 48 percent of the N5
billion is to be paid back on an instalment basis within a period of 20 months
to the CBN by the States and the local government areas in Nigeria.”

 

 

Source: Subsidy removal: AbdulRazaq heads NEC’s committee to negotiate with labour

 - NigerianEye
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