Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State says it’s Government has rolled out many stop-gap interventions that are designed to ease the inconveniences of the removal of fuel subsidy for workers and the public.
In an address to the labour unions who brought a letter of their protest over the subsidy removal, the Governor commended labour for their peaceful protest and aspirations as representatives of the Nigerian workers.
Represented by his Deputy, Kayode Alabi, AbdulRazaq said NLC’s message was loud and clear, and would be delivered to the President.
The governor acknowledged that this was a tough moment for everyone and that they share in the temporary pains of the people.
He said the government empathizes with the people and would pull more strings in addition to the moves already made by the State to ease things for the people and workers.
Palliative Measures
The Governor explained that palliative measures in grains are being purchased from the Nigerian Government and would soon be distributed to vulnerable households, including labour union affiliate organisations.
He said the list of beneficiaries would be inclusive and the process would involve all key stakeholders in the community.
He further confirmed the approval of the support for students and security agencies, which was built on what was earlier announced for all categories of workers in the state.
Free Transportation
He said free transportation had earlier been arranged for tertiary students in the state and therefore called on NLC to further support and work with the government to implement key economic reforms for sustainable growth alongside specific palliatives until things stabilize.
Governor AbdulRazaq urged the NLC to bear with the government and continue to hold talks so that everyone can pull through this phase in a way that sustainably benefits the country.
“There may not be easy solutions, but Nigeria will come out of this stronger and better if everyone endures and works together,” the governor said.
In his address, the State chairman of the NLC, Comrade Muritala Saheed Olayinka, said that the workers are facing a lot of challenges due to the removal of fuel subsidies.
He urged the Government to come quickly to the aid of the people in order to lessen their pains and decried the spate of hardship in the country following the removal of subsidy.
It noted that there was no measure put in place to mitigate the adverse effects of the withdrawal of subsidy before the Nigerian government acted hastily.
Olayinka explained that citizens have had to contend with hardship upon hardship since the federal government’s pronouncement on fuel subsidy.
The NLC chief, who likened subsidy removal to putting the cart before the horse, said the government should have focused on the repairs of the nation’s refineries, thus ending decades of petrol importation into the country.
Also, the Chairman of the Kwara State chapter of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Joseph Tunde, bemoaned the level of suffering among the masses, saying that the less privileged are finding it difficult to cope with the current situation.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Kwara State University Chapter, Dr Abdulganiyu Shehu Salau, lamented the outrageous tuition fee in public universities, which was occasioned by fuel subsidy removal.
He said the hike in tuition fee was a ploy to deny children of the poor opportunity to acquire higher education in the country.
Confidence Okwuchi
