Fuel Subsidy: ‘Nigerians Are Very Docile’ – NLC President Reveals Real Reason Strike Was Suspended

The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joseph Ajaero, has responded to criticism about the suspension of the union’s planned nationwide strike over the removal of fuel subsidy.

Ajaero, while speaking on the morning show of the AIT, blamed Nigerians and the general public for the reason the strike was suspended, Naija News learnt.

According to him, ”The problem is that Nigerians are very docile. Protests must not only be led by NLC, what about 130 million Nigerians in multi-dimension poverty, can’t they come out to protest?”

While calling out some Civil Society Organisations (CSO) for blaming the LabourUnion for suspending the strike, the NLC boss submitted that the other reason for halting the strike was to demonstrate to the outside world that NLC is a law-abiding organisation after the federal government acquired a restraining order from the National Industrial Court (NIC) for this purpose.

He pointed out that “It pains me to read all manners of media reports accusing NLC of not going ahead with the proposed strike. It’s not all about Labour leading the strike, what about Nigerians? The problem is that Nigerians are very docile. Protests must not only be led by NLC, what about 130 million Nigerians in multi-dimension poverty, can’t they come out to protest?

“Again, I say to the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) blaming Labour for not protesting, why can’t they lead the mass protest? The truth is that NLC has been carrying the burden of CSOs in leading the protests and it should not be so.

“Look, even the judges who gave the restraining order that organised labour should not go on strike on June 7 are affected by the untold hardship Nigerians are going through at the moment courtesy of the increase in petrol pump price.”

Speaking further, Ajaero cited how the military junta under former President Ibrahim Babangida proscribed NLC, but Nigerians including Student Unions of higher institutions in Nigeria mobilised and protested until the federal government succumbed.

He said “As Student Unionists, we protested alongside CSOs and Nigerians against the policies of the Babangida regime hence agencies like People’s Bank and others were created by the administration to ameliorate the sufferings of the citizens. Nigerians should not be docile, waiting for only NLC to lead protests.”

It would be recalled that the NLC after holding an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) last week Tuesday resolved to embark on a nationwide strike starting today to protest the removal of fuel subsidy and the hike in the pump price of petrol.

However, after long hours of meeting with the federal government, the Labour Union in a communiqué on Monday night announced the suspension of the strike.