The National Executive Council, NEC, of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has endorsed the August 2 nationwide strike and mass protests organized by the NLC in response to the recent increase in the price of gasoline at the pump.
In a communique released at the conclusion of the NEC meeting on Thursday, NEC members also authorized other decisions made by the Central Working Committee (CWC) of NLC on July 25, 2023.
The Communiqué, which was signed by the President and General Secretary of the NLC, Joe Ajaero and Emma Ugboaja respectively, states, among others, "NEC-in-session, after exhaustively deliberating and reviewing the current socioeconomic situation confronting Nigerian workers and masses, and the concomitant mass sufferings and deprivation across the nation as a result of the unfortunate actions and Policies of the current occupants of the seat of government, hereby declares that:
The government reached the following conclusions in accordance with the Central Working Committee’s (CWC) earlier conclusion that the government has shown disdain and contempt for the plight of Nigerians, shunning reasonable dialogue and refusing to take active measures to protect Nigerians instead resorting to robbing the people to pay the rich despite the massive outcry across the nation.
"Therefore, NEC-in-session applauds, reaffirms, and supports all the decisions of the Central Working Committee Meeting of the 25th of July, 2023 of the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government, including the recent increase in PMS price, the increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers, and the increase in VAT.
“The immediate inauguration of the Presidential Steering Committee as agreed in the earlier consequential dialogues, to begin the building across the nation of a Coalition of all Nigerians in which all will be leaders and all will be followers, to call on all civil society organizations and Nigerians wherever they may be to begin mobilizing to take action on their own to save our nation, and to lead and organize mass protest rallies across the nation to demonstrate outrage.”
NEC agreed “to give the federal government a seven-day ultimatum to meet all of our demands and to launch a nationwide action on August 2, 2023, to force the government to reverse its anti-poor and anti-worker policies.”
“Consequently, the NEC directs all Affiliates and State Councils to begin immediate mobilization and to work closely with associations, individuals, and other organizations, including those already on the streets, to ensure that the government listens to the people.”
Members of the National Economic Council (NEC) "insisted that the Federal Government’s lack of commitment to the creation of frameworks to cushion the impact of its increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol was evident not only in the quality of its representation at yesterday’s (Wednesday) hastily called meeting, but also in their unreadiness to address the issues raised.
“NEC, therefore, established strategy committees across all the states, urging all affiliates and State Councils, as well as the civil society, to stage nationwide protests beginning on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, to protest the government’s insensitivity to the plights of Nigerians.”