APC Backs FG/Labour Agreement, Says Buhari Loves Masses

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has given its backing to the agreement reached by the federal government and the leaderships of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to suspend their strike action over hike in electricity tariff and petrol price.

The party said the agreement was a proof that President Muhammadu Buhari always gives priority to the welfare and interest of the Nigerian masses when making decisions.

The federal government had on Monday morning reached an agreement with the unions after they threatened to embark on a nationwide strike to protest the hike.

Both agreed that the hike in electricity tariff be suspended for a period of 2 weeks, while the new pump price of petrol is to remain unchanged.

A statement issued by its Spokesman, Yekini Nabena, APC welcomed the development, adding that it is victory for the Nigerian masses.

Nabena said: “The welcome and positive development is in line with the proven pro-people stance of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration which has always put the welfare and interest of the masses first in policy decisions and implementation.”

According to him, the federal government, in temporarily suspending the application of the cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments by DISCOs to allow for an all-inclusive and independent review of the power sector operations “is evident of government’s pro-people stance.”

The APC spokesman said further: “Again, to reduce the cost of petrol, the federal government and labour agreed on the urgency to rehabilitate the nation’s refineries and increase our local refining capacity so as to reduce the overdependency on costly importation of refined petroleum products.

“To cushion the impact of the downstream sector deregulation and electricity tariffs adjustment on the Nigerian masses, the federal government is among others, implementing palliatives which can be easily assessed by Nigerian workers and financed from the Economic Sustainability Programme Intervention Fund with subsequent provision for 240,000 under the auspices of NLC and TUC for participation in agricultural ventures through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Agriculture.

“Also agreed is removal of tax on minimum wage to cushion the impact of the policy on the vulnerable; immediate provision to organized labour of 133 CNG/LPG driven mass transit buses; 10% housing allocation to Nigerian workers under the ongoing Ministry of Housing and Finance initiative through the NLC and TUC, among others.

“The President Buhari government has made solid commitments to rechannel saved national resources from the stopped fuel subsidy and deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector to other critical sectors such as infrastructure, health and education. The APC calls on all well-meaning Nigerians and stakeholders to cooperate, partner and monitor the implementation of these commitments and agreements reached by the federal government and organised labour.”

The party also commended Buhari’s transmission of the much-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 2020 to the National Assembly.

It argued that the PIB “will provide necessary legal framework to the long-sought reforms and ongoing deregulation of the petroleum sector in the country.”