2017: Opportunity for Buhari to deliver on election promises – NLC

The President of  Nigeria Labour Congress,  Ayuba Wabba, says  2016   was the toughest for  Nigerian workers, pensioners and the masses  in almost three decades. Wabba stated this yesterday in his New Year message to Nigerians.  He mentioned  the astronomical increase in the pump price of petroleum products, the massive and continuing devaluation of the […]

The President of  Nigeria Labour Congress,  Ayuba Wabba, says  2016   was the toughest for  Nigerian workers, pensioners and the masses  in almost three decades.

Wabba stated this yesterday in his New Year message to Nigerians. 

He mentioned  the astronomical increase in the pump price of petroleum products, the massive and continuing devaluation of the naira, the rise in inflation, and the 43% increase in electricity tariff in February 2016, as reasons for  miseries experienced  by    wage earners and the poor.

He commended Nigerian workers and people for their patience and patriotism in the face of the daunting challenges of the preceding year.

He lamented that the economy went into full recession in the course of the year, with the 4.3% GDP growth projection for the year turning into negative growth from about the 2nd quarter of the year.

He said, “ At the beginning of 2016, the Naira was exchanging at N197 to $1; by the end of the year, it had depreciated to N495 to $1 in the so-called black market, with at least 9 or more other rates in between; in the name of flexibility introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Under this regime, we have different rates of exchange for pilgrims, Customs, budget, Interbank, Fuel imports, Bureau de Change, Special funds Airlines, Western Union, Travelex etc.’’

The NLC president, however, is optimistic that  2017 will witness an improved economy and consolidation of  victories by the Nigerian Armed Forces in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency as well as  reduction of the destructive activities of militants in the Niger Delta due to  the combination of dialogue and the activities of Armed Forces in the area.

He said that the  NLC strike against fuel price increase in May 2016, was due to  President Muhammadu  Buhari that submitted to the lobby of vested interests in the industry  who wanted extra revenue from the price hike, leading to  the increase of the  pump price of fuel from N86 a litre to N145.

He said that the national strike the NLC declared on  18th May, 2016 that  lasted till 22nd May, 2016, following interventions by patriotic Nigerians and assurances by government to put  palliative measures in place  to cushion the effects of the increase, the  Federal  Government was yet to do so.

“Our infrastructures continue to be underfunded; in addition to the underfunding of education, health and other social welfare facilities.

“As with previous administrations, we have entered 2017 without the Federal Government having on the table a serious plan to turn around our dependency on importation to satisfy our petroleum products internal consumption needs. And yet we continue to be the only OPEC and Oil Producing Country that allows this type of situation. Everything we predicted would happen if oil price were increased are unfolding before our very eyes,’’ he said.

He urged government to  create an enabling environment for enhanced  local refining to meet rising local needs.

Wabba said the congress’ struggle against unpaid salaries and pensions/retrenchments in the  public sector was the highpoint of its struggles in 2016.

“In the preceding year, we have tackled a number of state governments over non-payment of outstanding wages and pension of workers and pensioners. Among the states were Imo, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Kogi and Nasarawa. In the case of Nasarawa, we lost two workers to trigger- happy Nigerian policemen, who murdered these workers in cold blood for protesting the unjust policy of the state government of paying half salaries to different cadres of civil servants in the state,’’ he said.

Wabba said the Buhari-led administration deserved commendations for giving bail out to state governments to pay workers’ wages in the states as 27 of the 36 states were in default at the inception of the administration even as he said  the NLC would  continue its campaign to ensure that the incidence  of non-payment of salaries as when due, is nipped in the bud.