The Nigerian Trade Union Congress has declined the palliatives suggested by the Federal government to alleviate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal. In a statement published on Tuesday, 18th July, President Joe Ajaero of the NLC stated that the union wholeheartedly rejects the 8000 Naira palliatives the Federal government intends to provide to 12 million ‘mysterious’ impoverished Nigerians. The union’s statement indicates that the Tinubu-led government has consistently inflicted thoughtless and merciless suffering on the public without the decency of engaging in democratic principles that require extensive stakeholder consultation on significant state matters.
The NLC denounces the proposition to pay 8000 Naira to each of the ‘so-called 12 million poorest Nigerian households for a six-month period’ as an affront to the collective intelligence of Nigerians. The union asserts that the proposal to allocate 70 billion Naira to National Assembly members and 36 billion to the Judiciary represents the most insensitive, reckless, and audacious diversion of our shared heritage into the pockets of public officers who have sworn to safeguard our nation’s treasury.
“There is no other way to describe the proposition of paying a meagre sum of 8000 Naira to each of the mysterious poorest 12 million Households for six months, amounting to 48,000, while allocating 70 billion naira to just 469 National Legislators, approximately 149 million Naira each, and the Judiciary, which consists of about 72 Appeal Court Judges, 33 National Industrial Court Judges, 75 Federal High Court Judges, and 21 Supreme Court Judges, with a total of approximately 201 Judges receiving a total of 35 billion naira or 174 million naira each. If these other two branches are projected to receive this amount, one can only imagine what members of the Executive Council will receive, perhaps the remaining 150 billion Naira will go to them.
These proposals are not only unacceptable to Nigerian workers but also dictatorial and undemocratic.”
