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All Sectors’ll Remain Shut As Workers Protest, Labour Insists
Barring last minute changes, the organised labour across the country has vowed that all sectors including aviation, banks, and others would be shut as workers would take to the streets, today, to protest Federal Government’s arbitrary increases in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff.
The Deputy Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Amaechi Asogwuni, made this known at a news conference, yesterday in Lagos ahead of the strike.
“No airport will be in operation in Nigeria; banks are not expected to function, so, no business owners should risk himself for Nigerian workers have taken that decision.
“We are the workers and we are withdrawing our services; we have the right to do so because protests are our constitutional right.
“And I believe we will enforce it; schools shall remain closed until this action ends,” he said.
Asogwuni called on Nigerians to join the protest, saying it was part of their quota to democracy.
“We must ensure that all sectors remained shut as a voice to the government to respond to the cry of Nigerians.
“On the issue of PMS, what was expected of government was to engage its socio-partners which include labour as a stakeholder.
“The government did not do that at a time it ought to; it failed in its duty to engage labour before time.
“On the issue of electricity, the government had earlier had an interaction with labour in Kano and we discouraged it from proceeding.
“It was a big shock that it still went ahead to dare Nigerians; people depend on power and you cannot wake up overnight and strengthen suffering.
“We resist it and call on Nigerians to join because in a democracy it is our voice that makes the difference,” he said.
But just as the labour leader was speaking, the House of Representatives was meeting with various stakeholders in a bid to avert the strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) billed to commence, today, even offering organised labour some palliatives.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, at a negotiation meeting with labour, yesterday in Abuja, said the palliatives would be included in the proposed 2021 budget.
Also at the meeting were the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Peter Akpatason; and Chairman, House Committee on Labour, Hon Ali Muhammed.
The opening session began at 10:30am and ended at 10:52am.
The meeting also went behind closed doors and lasted almost one hour.
Speaking after the meeting, Gbajabiamila said that the budget would soon be presented to the National Assembly, stressing that some palliatives were being considered to cushion the effects of an increase in electricity tariff and fuel price hike.
The palliatives, according to the speaker, include distribution of food items, reduction of taxes on minimum wage, and payment of some special allowances.
Others are involved in the ownership of housing programmes through mortgage and distribution of special buses to public institutions that run on auto-gas.
Gbajabiamila said that the palliatives would go a long way to assuage the suffering of Nigerians.
He said the lawmakers would also make provision in the budget to tackle the eight million deficit of meters to enable Nigerians to access them.
Gbajabiamila, who described estimated billing as a scam, said: “I have never heard it anywhere in the world, so if we may have to provide for the deficit, we will have to do that.”
He appealed to labour to suspend the planned strike, saying embarking on industrial action at this critical time would not augur well for the citizenry.
“You know, you cannot go on strike at this time, if you go on strike, the people you think you are protecting will be at the receiving end, we share your philosophy regarding workers’ rights.
“We know what Nigerians are going through, our position on electricity billing is obvious, the only thing now is to continue to talk, I am concerned about the people out there.
“Shutting down the markets, banks and other places of work is my worry, I am concerned about the people,” he said.
Gbajabiamila said that there was the need for every Nigerian to be properly metered in order to capture the true cost, adding that the lawmakers would consider metering in the 2021 budget.
The President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said that the increase in electricity tariff and hike in fuel price had eroded the purchasing power of Nigerian workers.
He said the initial plan was that there would not be an increase in electricity tariff until meters were provided for Nigerians.
Wabba commended the speaker for the intervention, adding that he had consistently represented the interest of Nigerians.
The NLC president said there was a valid court judgment nullifying the electricity tariff, adding that the judgment of the National Industrial Court asking NLC to stop its planned strike could not be sustained.
Wabba insisted that the NLC would go ahead with the strike if its demands were not met by the Federal Government before the expiration of the ultimatum.
Emerging from the meeting, Wabba dismissed the various court rulings barring the workers from industrial action.
He said, “We have had a useful discussion with the leadership of the House of Representatives. We have shared our concerns and challenges with him (Gbajabiamila), especially the very challenges of the implication of the hike in the tariff of electricity and the (petrol) pump price. We also told him how the discussions with the Federal Government went and how the meeting was adjourned.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.