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Subsidy: NLC kicks as court stops strike, police warn hoodlums
The Nigeria Labour Congress has kicked against a court order secured by the Federal Government restraining the union and the Trade Union Congress from embarking on a planned nationwide strike over the removal of fuel subsidy.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said the strike would go on Wednesday as planned, noting that the labour centre was not aware of the court order stopping the industrial action.
Justice O. Y. Anuwe of the National Industrial Court handed down the order against the NLC and TUC 48 hours before the commencement of the industrial action as the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba met with police managers in Abuja where he ordered them to carry out effective deployments to prevent hoodlums from hijacking the protests.
Speaking to The PUNCH while taking a break during a meeting with government officials at the Presidential Villa on Monday, Ajaero said, “The industrial court order came late after the close of business today. So the NLC is not aware of it and it is not even mentioned in the meeting. By tomorrow (today), they won’t find anybody at the NLC office to serve it to because, by then, we will all be on the field mobilising for the strike.”
The NLC had told The PUNCH earlier on Monday that the strike action would be for an indefinite period.
Responding to a question on the duration of the strike, the National Treasurer of NLC, Akeem Hambali simply said, ‘’It is indefinite for now.”
Asked whether there was a plan to shelve the action, he said, “Strike will commence on Wednesday except otherwise directed by the National Executive Council.”
But in a last-ditch move to avert the strike, the government again called for a meeting with the NLC leaders at the Presidential Villa. The meeting was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
The government representatives had on Wednesday last week met both the NLC and Trade Union Congress leaders, but the meeting ended in a deadlock.
The NLC was however absent from the meeting the government held with the labour leaders on Sunday.
But the FG on Monday obtained a court order stopping the strike. In the suit filed by the FG, the court held that the industrial action, “if not circumvented’’ is capable of disrupting economic activities and essential sectors from carrying out vital functions.
Justice Anuwe specifically barred the NLC and the TUC from “embarking on the planned industrial action/or strike of any nature, pending the determination of the motion on notice dated 5th June 2023.”
It equally ordered that the two labour centres listed as defendants/respondents in the matter should be “immediately served with the originating processes in the suit, the motion on notice, as well as the interim order.
The FG had in the suit marked: NICN/ABJ/158/2023, which it filed through the Federal Ministry of Justice, applied for an order of interim injunction restraining the two unions, their members, agents, employees, workmen, servants, proxies or affiliates from embarking on the planned industrial action which was to commence on Wednesday.
Lawyer to the FG and Director, Civil Litigation, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Maimuna Shiru, maintained that the proposed strike action was capable of disrupting economic activities, and the health and educational sectors.
The government tendered exhibits FGN 1, 2, and 3, which were notices from the NLC, TUC, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists to their members, asking them to withdraw their services with effect from Wednesday, June 7.
The court held that it was empowered and clothed by section 7(b) of the NIC Act, 2006, with the exclusive jurisdiction in matters relating to ‘the grant of any order to restrain any person or body from taking part in any strike, lockout or any industrial action or any conduct in contemplation or in furtherance of strike, lockout or industrial action.’’
It held that sections 16 and 19(a) of the NIC Act 2006, also empowered it to grant urgent interim reliefs.
The court held that the affidavit of urgency as well as the submission of the FG’s lawyer revealed “a scenario that may gravely affect the larger society and the well-being of the nation at large.”
Anuwe stated, “Counsel has pointed out that students of secondary schools nationwide, especially those writing WAEC exams nationwide, will be affected. The tertiary institutions that have only just resumed after a long ASUU strike will also be affected, not leaving the health sector, amongst other sectors, and above all, the economy of the nation. In my view, this is a situation of extreme urgency that will require the intervention of this court.”
He subsequently fixed June 19 for the hearing in the suit.
Aviation, bank workers
Meanwhile, aviation and bank workers’ unions have directed their members to join the strike which is expected to ground airport operations and banking activities at all financial institutions nationwide.
Aviation workers under the aegis of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers on Monday announced the planned withdrawal of services as directed by the NLC.
In a notice issued on June 5, the three unions said they would be joining their counterparts in other sectors to embark on a total withdrawal of service from 12 am Wednesday.
It directed all members of the unions to comply with the directive.
The notice signed by the General Secretary of NUATE, Ocheme Aba, the Secretary General of ANAP, Abdul Saidu, and the Deputy General Secretary of NAAPE, Umoh Ofonime, called on all branches, state councils, and zonal councils of the unions to mobilize their members in preparation for the strike.
The notice read, ”The National Executive Council of Nigerian Labour Congress met on Friday 2nd of June, 2023, and decided that Congress will embark on a nationwide mobilisation and withdrawal of services against the fraudulent increase in the pump price of petrol.
“Further to the NLC directive, all branches, state councils, and zonal councils of all the unions in the aviation industry are hereby directed to mobilize all their members in preparation for a total withdrawal of service from 12 am of Wednesday 7th June 2023.
“All the leadership of the unions mentioned above is to ensure strict compliance with the directives as services in the public and private sectors are to be withdrawn. Please ensure strict compliance.”
However, the President of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Ilitrus Ahmad, disclosed that his union would not withdraw its services as they are not an affiliate of the NLC.
In solidarity with the NLC, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution Employees, has disclosed that they would participate in the strike.
According to a statement signed by NUBIFIE General Secretary, Mohammed Sheikh, on Monday, the decision was in line with the resolution reached after the emergency meeting of the NLC last Friday.
“In this regard, we hereby direct all our zonal councils, domestic committee, and other organs of the union to ensure total compliance with the congress directive,” the statement said.
However, the President of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Mr Oluwole Olusoji, said ASSBIFI was waiting for directives from the TUC to determine its next move.
Meanwhile, the TUC through its General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, disclosed that it would again hold a meeting with the government team on Tuesday evening in furtherance of the discussions on the impact of the fuel subsidy removal held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Sunday.
During the meeting, the congress presented a charter of demands, including a demand for a review of the minimum wage to N200,000 and tax breaks for workers.
In response, the FG’s team promised to deliver the demands to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for review.
In a move to prevent the planned strike and protests from being hijacked by hoodlums, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba met with police managers in Abuja on Tuesday where he ordered them to carry out effective deployments to forestall any breakdown of law and order across the country.
Alkali-Baba said, “Regardless of the quantum of achievements recorded within the period under review and the successful democratic transitioning that happened on the 29th of May, 2023, there still remains prevailing and projected threats across the country, including the aftermath of the fuel subsidy removal with the emerging threat of industrial strike action.
“Consequently, we shall not rest on our oars. Rather, we must redouble our efforts to maintain the needed peace and stability of our democracy. This is critically important as we also prepare for the nation’s Democracy Day on June 12.
“In so doing, I charge you all to remain focused while monitoring the election tribunals and the proposed industrial actions across the country. You must develop proactive crime management mechanisms to forestall any untoward acts from political and non-political actors.”
In compliance with the IG’s directive, many state commands have deployed police operatives across their jurisdictions to ensure public safety during the strike and protest.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Nasarawa State, DSP Ramhan Nansel, said the command had deployed its personnel in 13 local government areas of the state to forestall any breakdown of law and order during the protest.
“Measures have been put in place to that effect,” he added.
The Bayelsa State Police Command equally assured that it had put in place measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
The spokesman for the command, Asinim Butswat, stated, “We have deployed adequate policemen to ensure there is no breach of the peace.”
In a related development, petrol marketers and transporters on Monday distanced themselves from the industrial action declared by the NLC.
Members of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, National Association of Road Transport Owners and Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, among others, also stressed that the over N13tn spent on subsidy by the Federal Government would have been deployed to develop other sectors of the economy.
They insisted that the government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, had run out of funds to sustain the fuel subsidy regime, highlighting the over N2.8tn subsidy debt that the federation currently owes the NNPCL.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, recently said the Federal Government still owed the company N2.8tn that it had spent on petrol subsidy.
The oil marketers and transporters told one of our correspondents that the planned industrial action by the NLC would not address the situation, but would further worsen the hardship in the country.
They stated that if fuel subsidy continues, the country’s petrol subsidy spending is going to rise to about N20tn when the projected N6tn that is meant to be spent on subsidy in 2023 is added to the N13tn already consumed by the subsidy regime between 2005 and 2021.
The President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said those agitating for the continuation of subsidy must understand that the country had spent over N13tn in subsidising petrol, at the detriment of key sectors of the economy.
He said the labour congress should give room for dialogue, stressing that oil marketers would not shut their filling stations as the NLC embarks on its nationwide industrial action.
Gillis-Harry stated, “PETROAN’s position is that the NLC should be patient and exhaust all the possibilities of reasonable discussion. This is because, at the end of the day, Nigerians are the ones to suffer, as they are already suffering.
“Subsidy removal is a very difficult and hard decision, but it must be made and PETROAN supports that. Can you imagine spending N13tn on subsidies for about 16 years? Do you know what that amount of money would have accomplished for the country in terms of infrastructure, health, education, etc?’’
He said the discussion between the Federal Government and NLC should go ahead, adding that stakeholders in the downstream sector were also trying to get the government to sit down with oil marketers and come to an agreement on what to do.
Gillis-Harry said every player in the sector, including labour unions, “should be looking for solutions, not anybody threatening anybody. That is my take issue.”
Asked whether some oil marketers might be tempted to join in the strike, the PETROAN president replied in the negative, adding that such actions would further worsen the plights of Nigerians.
“So, as a responsible association of businessmen, we do not intend to join in the fray to cause more problems and hardship for Nigeria. We are not joining the strike. That’s our take,” the PETROAN president stated.
Also speaking on the issue, the President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, Yusuf Othman, said NARTO endorsed the immediate halt in the payment of subsidy on petrol by President Tinubu during his inaugural address.
“For us, we support the full deregulation of the downstream oil sector, and of course, we expect that some palliative should be in place. But now that subsidy is gone, the palliative can be put in place.’’
He also urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the Federal Government as regards the removal of the subsidy, adding that the subsidy regime only benefitted and enriched very few persons.
“We expect that Nigerians should wait for what the government has on the table for us because sincerely speaking there are very few beneficiaries of the subsidy regime as against the majority of Nigerians,” Yusuf stated.
In the meantime, the Ogun, and Sokoto NLC chapters have backed the strike action just as the Kwara State government reduced work hours.
The chairman of the union in Ogun State, Hammed Ademola said they have mobilized the workers in the state ahead of the strike.
Also, his Sokoto State counterpart, Abdullahi Jungle, confirmed that workers in the state would be part of the strike action.
“We are definitely joining the strike as directed by the national leadership of the union and Sokoto State will not be an exception,” he added.
As part of moves to ease the burden of workers in the state as a result of the fuel subsidy removal, the Kwara State government on Monday approved a temporary palliative measure, including reducing work hours.
The State Head of Service, Mrs Susan Oluwole announced on Monday that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has directed that the work days be reduced from five days to three days per week.
Oluwole in a statement signed by Murtala Atoyebi, Chief Press Secretary in the office of the head of Service directed all Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state to immediately work out a format indicating the alternating work days for each worker under them.
The Head of Service however warned the workers not to abuse the magnanimity of the governor, stressing that the regular monitoring of MDAs by her office would be intensified to ensure strict compliance with the directive.
“Civil servants will now work for three days in Kwara State, as against the current five days. Civil service authorities are expected to release further guidance on the measure, including how it affects health workers and teachers,’’ the statement said.
The governor also met with labour leaders in the state where he appealed to shelve the strike, noting that the removal of the fuel subsidy was done in good faith to curb further damage to the economy.
credit to: Punch News paper
Tinubu Meets With APC Govs At Aso Rock
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently holding his maiden meeting with governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).
The meeting, being held in the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, is attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In attendance are PGF Chairman and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Professor Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe).
Others are Uba Sani (Kaduna), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Father Hyacinth Alia (Benue), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Umar Bago (Niger), Aliyu Ahmed (Sokoto), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Bassey Otu (Cross River)
Credit to: Dailytrust
2ND ANNUAL NIGERIAN FESTIVAL UK
Fuel Scarcity: Osun Govt Threatens To Seal Stations Hoarding Petrol
The state government said the deliberate hoarding of petrol by the fuel dealers has caused untold hardship on the people of the state.
“Any fuel station found guilty of hoarding fuel to create artificial scarcity shall be sealed off and operators prosecuted for crime of economic sabotage,” the governor said in a statement on Tuesday by his spokesman, Olawale Rasheed.
The fresh fuel scarcity in the country followed the inaugural pronouncement by Nigeria’s new President, Bola Tinubu who said on Monday that the era of subsidy payment on fuel has ended.
“Fuel subsidy is gone,” Tinubu declared in his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square on May 29 after he was sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th President.
The former Lagos State governor said the 2023 Budget made no provision for fuel subsidy and more so, subsidy payment is no longer justifiable.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has since backed Tinubu on the removal of fuel subsidy.
Fuel queues have since resurfaced across the country since the presidential pronouncement as Nigerians forage for the premium product.
In its warning to marketers, the Osun State Government said the deliberate hoarding of PMS by the fuel dealers within the state as a result of Tinubu’s statement has caused unnecessary hardship on the people of the state.
“This deliberate action is not only inhumane but unpatriotic and will not be allowed by the government. To this end, the Special Monitoring Team on fuel scarcity set up by His Excellency, Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke headed by the Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Akinleye is still effective and shall not condone any form of economic sabotage.
“As from today, 30th May 2023, the Committee shall begin special monitoring of all the filling stations across the state in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders,” the statement partly read.
By Kayode Oyero (Channels Tv)
Power sector: Nigerians beam hopes on Tinubu as Buhari govt fails
The inauguration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday heralds a new era for the country after an unsuccessful attempt by the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari to break the jinx facing Nigeria’s power sector.
In 2015, when Buhari assumed power, he promised to revamp Nigeria’s transmission, distribution and generation subsectors of the power industry.
Eight years later, he exited the seat of power, leaving the sector unchanged.
According to data by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency, NERC, available power generation capacity stood at 4,712.34MW in the First Quarter of 2022.
The Nation had continued to hover around the generation capacity of 4,000MW to 5,000MW in a country with over 200 population. Meanwhile, of the generated electricity capacity, the Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, could only absorb less than 3, 802MW per day in July 2022. However, Nigeria needs a massive 25,000–40,000 megawatts (MW) of power supply.
Challenges in Nigeria’s Power Sector
The challenges in Nigeria’s power sector cut across the transmission, distribution and generation sectors.
The continued collapse of the National grid had characterised the power sector in the eight years of Buhari’s administration. On 15 May, the grid collapsed for the 99th time since 2015.
DAILY POST reports that in May 15, 2023, the national grid dropped to 221MW out of over 4,500MW routine available capacity. Accordingly, of over 16 active plants in the country, only three were on the grid at the time; Omotosho was on the grid with 132.90MW, Omotosho NIPP was also on the grid with 78MW, while Rivers IPP was on the grid with a generation of 10MW.
Since privatising the power sector in 2013, the national grid has collapsed 130 times.
In a report by NERC, the national grid collapses in 2015 were 10. That rose to 28 in 2016, while 21 cases were recorded in 2017. NERC listed the cases in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 as 13, 11, four and four, respectively. Last year, the grid failed seven times, among others that the commission did not capture.
As a solution to addressing the challenges in the power sector, Buhari’s government in 2020 launched the $2.3 billion Siemens deal, dubbed the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), to unlock Nigeria’s electricity generation to 25,000 MW in six years; however five years down the line, the project has not impacted the industry.
The challenges led Buhari into cabinet reshuffling, the Minister of Power- Babatunde Fashola, who served from 2015 to 2019 (when the Minister of Power was removed from his portfolio) and given to Mammah Saleh (August 2019 to September 2021) and Abubakar Aliyu whose tenure ended on Monday. However, despite the efforts of Buhari and his men, the sector continued to suffer setbacks.
Speaking with DAILY POST on Monday, the President of Network of Energy Reforms Nigeria, Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Mr Kunle Olubiyo, stated that the power success had failed on all fronts under the Buhari administration.
He said electricity tariffs were increased by 500 per cent in the eight years of Buhari’s government without a commensurate improvement in the quality of services to consumers.
“Between 2016-2023, there was about a 500 per cent increase in electricity tariff without a corresponding increase in power generation, transmission, and distribution via the national electricity grid.
“Power sector’s failure in maximising the inherent potentials of the sector was largely due to failure of institutions and overbearing political interferences in the day to day business operations of the sector, resulting in a decline in power supply to Nigerians in the most unprecedented and embarrassing manners.
“In the years under review, there were largely pronounced failures of regulatory institutions in charge of enforcing market rules, extant operational rules and general failure of enforcement of regulatory framework”, he stated.
Also, Bode Fadipe, Global Power & energy sector policy analyst, said Buhari had not significantly impacted the Nation’s power sector.
He decried that the state of things in the market had remained convoluted under Buhari.
He noted that most of the challenges Buhari met in 2015 were eminently available after his exit on Monday.
“For operations, the Buhari administration did not depart remarkably from what it met on the ground. The state of things in the market continued to remain convoluted.
“From generation to distribution, the challenges that the administration met when it took over power in 2015 – three years into the privatisation were still visible even in the administration’s twilight.
“The number of grid system outages, the inability of the Siemens project to address operational issues and bring the necessary succour to end users of Electricity, the takeover of 6 of the DisCos (Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan, Benin & Port Harcourt) by financial institutions for lending delinquency, the notice of withdrawal of the licence of Kaduna DisCo, the periodic threat by generation companies to withdraw their service, the disturbing silence from the regulator even with the new policy direction provided by the 1999 Constitution are all indicators of a market that requires more than a mere glance by an administration that came on the mantra with a mountainous promise to make a difference within the Constitutionally allowed time to make a change”, he stated.
Similarly, Mr Joseph Eleojo, an energy expert, reiterated that nothing changed in the power sector under Buhari’s government except the increase in electricity tariffs.
He noted that Buhari’s administration only paid lip service to electricity generation in Nigeria.
“Foremost, nothing has changed in the electricity sector despite the so-called reforms. The generation has not crossed 6,000 Megawatts for a Country of over 200m people since the Military regime.
“What has changed in the electricity sector? He just increased tariffs without corresponding service. The Buhari Government only paid lip service to electricity generation”, he said.
Can Tinubu break the jinx in the power sector?
Tinubu, during his inaugural speech on Monday, had promised that his administration would undo the many challenges facing the country’s power sector.
He said, “Electricity will become more accessible and affordable to businesses and homes alike. Power generation should nearly double, and transmission and distribution networks should be improved. We will encourage states to develop local sources as well”.
The specifics of how Tinubu would achieve the above feat in the power sector have remained to be determined.
It was not all bad during Buhari’s government as it completed the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam, 40MW Hydropower Station and Associated 132KV Switchyard, Transmission Line and Distribution Substation located in Taraba state, 50 megawatts (MW) Maiduguri emergency power project and other projects.
Olubiyo advised Tinubu to review the entire gamut of the power sector.
According to him, the privatisation project of the country’s power sector had failed to achieve its desired outcome, hence the need for a drastic turnaround.
“The incoming administration should review the entire gamut of the power sector privatisation in its present state, which has failed to achieve the desired results despite huge investments.
“Electricity is a major enabler for job creation, industrialization, sustainable growth and development. The need for the incoming administration to get it right with electricity can not be over-emphasised,” he said.
Eleojo said Tinubu must prioritise electricity generation and distribution if he must succeed on the economic front.
He stated that Tinubu must undertake drastic reforms beyond rhetoric.
He particularly advised that the privatisation of the DisCos should be reviewed and the national grid disbanded.
“The incoming administration should make electricity generation and distribution its number one priority. It should carry out more drastic reforms, review the privatisation process of the DisCos and disband the national grid.
“Let private estates, local governments and other interested entrepreneurs generate and distribute electricity without getting a licence from NERC. The guidelines and regulations of NERC are one of the major bottlenecks to power generation in Nigeria”, he stated.
On his part, Fadipe said Tinubu’s government must walk the talk on the subnational government taking advantage of the liberalised power sector.
The government must intentionally kick the ground running in the transmission, distribution and generation sectors.
“It is also vital that the Tinubu administration takes deliberate steps to work with subnational governments to exploit the liberalised power sector.
“It is very important because if the national government provides that technical support, the subnational governments may be able to take advantage of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
“The Tinubu administration also needs to look very closely at the principal regulator of the sector to exorcize from it what is called the 1st Born Syndrome. Frequently, 1st borns are usually timid with a yes sir mentality. 1st borns are more managers than leaders. They are often quiet with an intention not to rock the boat.
“We have seen this syndrome in the principal regulator of the market. The regulator needs to lead the market from the front. A sector that is ten years old should have become stronger and better by now with a steady climb into higher altitudes. Unfortunately, we are still dealing with take-off issues in the market.
“As tantalising as it seems, asking for scrutiny of projects executed in the last 8 years will be distracting. That notwithstanding, past managers must be held accountable for their deeds as soon as there are discoveries”, he stated.
Like other past administrations, Tinubu’s government has started with hope and expectations; certainly, Nigerians are optimistic that the rhetoric would translate into fundamental changes required to curb the menace in Nigeria’s power sector.
Credited to: Dailypost.ng
Afrinity News Flash
Dear OBIdient, P squares are coming through! 🛩️ Akwaibom! ✊🏾🇳🇬 #Obidatti2023 #AkwaIbom #obidatti2023 ✊🏾🇳🇬✊🏾🇳🇬✊🏾🇳🇬👨👩👦
Dear OBIdient, P squares are coming through! 🛩️ Akwaibom! ✊🏾🇳🇬 #Obidatti2023 #AkwaIbom #obidatti2023 ✊🏾🇳🇬✊🏾🇳🇬✊🏾🇳🇬👨👩👦