Nationwide protests by Nigerian workers over rising economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy take a different twist, as labour leaders are being charged with contempt of court.
The charge came yesterday, soon after union leaders led by Joe Ajaero, of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and Festus Osifo, of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), respectively, met with President Bola Tinubu to resolve lingering issues around the provision of palliatives for Nigerians at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
In a joint statement signed by the two leaders, informed “Nigerians that we have just received a Court summons purporting to charge us with contempt of Court. We urge all Nigerians to be vigilant because it appears that the days of long knives are here with us again.”
Nevertheless, they said “The leadership remains resolute in its commitment to the protection of the interests and welfare of the Nigerian people, and nothing whatsoever can take our eyes away from this focus nor shake this belief.”
Nigerian workers collectively resolved to “resume at the Courts wherever they may be across the nation on the days of the Court sittings to hear the contempt proceedings against the leaders of trade unions.”
Accordingly, “The Airports, the Seaports, the Hospitals, Schools; all public and private sector workers will all appear in Court across the nation in response to the Contempt charges,” they said.
Meeting outcomes
However, a different statement by the President’s Communication and Strategy Assistant, Dele Alake, soon after the meeting with Tinubu last night, reads: “Consequent upon the fruitful and frank discussion with President Tinubu and their confidence in his ability to encourage open and honest consideration of all the issues put forward by the Labour Movement, the Labour Leaders resolved to stop further protest.
“They opted for further constructive engagement with the government to resolve all outstanding issues as they affect the working people and Nigerians in general.
“President Tinubu gave his commitment to the Labour leaders that the Port Harcourt refineries will start production by December 2023 after the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation contract between NNPCL and Italian firm, Maire Tecnimont SpA.
“President Tinubu assured the Labour leaders that he would continue to work for the best interest of Nigeria while pleading with the Labour leaders to join hands with him to birth a better and economically buoyant country.”
The leadership remains resolute in its commitment to the protection of the interests and welfare of the Nigerian people, and nothing whatsoever can take our eyes away from this focus nor shake this belief.
But Ajaero and Osifo reiterated that, “On the strength of the President’s pledge and commitment, we have decided for a return to a new and reinvigorated dialogue process to allow for full implementation.”
They opined that, “The engagement was fruitful that immense mileage was gotten with regards to the issues that bogged down the work of the Presidential Committee on Subsidy Removal and necessitated the protest.”
Such mileages include:
- He (Tinubu) committed to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engagement in line with the input of the labour leaders;
- He let out a certainty that the Port Harcourt Refinery will commence production by December this year;
- He pledged to ensure that Agreement is reached on the Wage Award for Nigerian workers immediately; and,
- He promised to unveil a workable roadmap to the CNG alternative next week.
The union leaders appreciated “the massive solidarity and support of the Nigerian people who thronged the various venues around the country in their numbers despite intimidations and blackmails by agents of government and forces of retrogression to discourage them from joining the nationwide protest, which was called to ventilate citizens outrage at the anti-poor and anti-peoples’ policies of the government.”
They also appreciated “the timely intervention of the leadership of the National Assembly for their pledge to resolving the issues raised by the Nigerian people and for their deep understanding of the need for Government to provide quick wins as succor with short timelines to ameliorate the consequences of the hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) on the citizenry.”
Despite the court summons, charged Nigerians that, “We must remain unwavering and together refuse to allow them to divide us so that collectively, we will build a nation where no one will be considered too small to be left behind.”
