Kaduna state government, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Kaduna state chapter, rose from a one-day meeting on fuel subsidy removal in Kaduna on Monday, to agree on the constitution of a palliative committee in the state.
The Kaduna state team led by Governor Uba Sani met with the state labour leaders led by state TUC and NLC chairmen, Comrade Abdullahi Danfulani and Comrade Ayuba Suleiman Magaji respectively, following which the two parties at the end of the meeting told Journalists at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House that the engagement was fruitful and a good way to start for the new government of Uba Sani.
Speaking after the meeting, Governor Sani said President Bola Tinubu had no option than to allow removal of fuel subsidy because there is no provision for it in the current budget from 1st June, 2023. Hence the need for the state government and labour leaders to work out palliatives to cushion the effect on the masses.
“As Senator in the last four years, I know there is no provision for fuel subsidy in the current budget from 1st June. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is left with no option than to allow the removal of the subsidy because it is not even in the budget at all.
“The most important reason I quickly called the labour leaders here this morning is because I know the crisis that will face the masses, the downtrodden. Because this is something that is sudden, and, as leaders, it is our responsibility to come with very important and robust palliative arrangements. And I believe we cannot do that without the support and cooperation of the labour leaders, that is why they are here and we had a very sincere discussion where we all gave our positions and I am really happy with their inputs.
“We have decided to quickly announce a committee comprising the labour leaders and governments officials to fashion out a kind of arrangement, where we will reach out to the downtrodden by way of supporting them with palliatives. So, the labour leaders are the ones that are close to the people, they know the concerns of the people and the kind of palliative we need to come up with. We cannot decide all these alone as a government and that is why we decided that whatever is in the interest of workers we have to carry the labour leaders along,” the governor said.
In their separate remarks both the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman and Comrade Abdullahi Danfulani respectively expressed satisfaction with the engagement with the state government. They however stressed that, the final directive regard the planned industrial action lies with their respective national bodies.
The Secretary General of IPMAN, Sadiq Yusuf, stated that his association was with the government in rolling out of palliatives, noting that the entire fuel subsidy is a big fraud.
“We are here to create an understanding between government and the stakeholders in the petroleum industry. IPMAN Kaduna state chapter, has over 4,000 filling stations across the Northwestern states. We are representing this entire structure, with the understanding that there is nothing good in allowing a volatile state like Kaduna to have a protest.
“We sincerely appreciate the transparency and sincerity of Governor Uba Sani for his understanding of the magnitude of this protracted issue that has been lingering for decades. IPMAN understands the intrigues in the subsidy payment. We told the Governor just now that over N13.7 trillion is being paid by the Federal Government of Nigeria for subsidies. And in 2012, the Federal Government set up a committee and realized over $6 billion fraud in subsidy payment for over two years. We are comfortable that the state government with the collaboration of our leader, Hon. AbdulFatah Murtala will bring the palliative to the downtrodden,” he said.
