THE meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the fuel subsidy issue was inconclusive on Thursday. The meeting is expected to continue tomorrow.

However, the NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar told State House correspondents that the Federal Government and NLC were prepared to shift grounds.

President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, seven state governors, ministers, leaders of the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and members of the Federal Government negotiation team, attended the meeting at the State House Abuja.

The labour leaders were led by the NLC chairman, Comrade Omar and were ushered into First Lady Wing venue of the meeting at about 6.35 p.m., following a meeting which had taken place between President Jonathan, the leadership of the National Assembly, the state governors and the Justice Alfa Belgore-led Federal Government negotiation team.

Governors at the meeting included Peter Obi (Anambra), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers); Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo).

Also present on the Federal Government side were the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Senate Leader, Victor Edoma-Egba, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and several other ministers.

Apart from Omar, there was also the President of TUC, Peter Esele, the acting General Secretary of NLC, Owei Lakemfa and 14 others on the side of labour.

However, moments after the labour leaders were led into the room where they were to hold discussion, President Jonathan and Vice President Sambo left the venue to allow the negation team to continue the talks with labour but were expected to join the talks later.

Sambo returned for the meeting at about 8.15pm just before the participant went for break.

Meanwhile, a leading member of the administration and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has hinted at eventual resolution of the logjam in the next 48 hours, admitting that the situation cannot continue for long.

Speaking on Channels TV news on Thursday morning, Sanusi said that the deaths, arson, mayhem and injuries must come to an end, noting that both sides to the dispute should shift ground.

The CBN governor, who said he was speaking as a Nigerian and not as the CBN governor, suggested that a staged, phased withdrawal of subsidy might be an option, even as he noted that complete reversal to N65 might not be an option.

While noting that his suggestions are without prejudice to the ongoing negotiations with labour, Sanusi noted that with the phased withdrawal in progress, the government would then speed up revitalisation of existing refineries and the building and operations of new ones by private operators.

The government, he said, should be ready to give maximum incentives such as tax break, import duty waivers and others to private individuals willing to invest in the refineries, adding that this could be done once a political decision was taken.

Sanusi, who also admitted that a lot of fraudulent activities dominated the operation of the subsidy scheme, added that there might also be need for investigations and eventual prosecution of those found culpable in the management of the subsidy fund.

“We must stop this situation where our people are dying unneccesarily. We cannot continue like this. We must find a resolution in the next 48 hours,” Sanusi said.

Meanwhile, as protests continued to trail the fuel subsidy removal, the House of Representatives on Thursday talked tough as it called on President Goodluck Jonathan to have a rethink on the matter and realign himself with the yearnings of the people in the overall interest of the country.

This is coming just as the House denied any plot to impeach President Jonathan over his hard stand on the fuel subsidy removal palava, following a rumour that some members of the House had started collecting signatures in preparation for his impeachment anytime next week.

Speaking with newsmen at the National Assembly, the deputy spokesperson of the House, Honourable Victor Ogene, said that the call became necessary in order to make it known to President Jonathan that, “the government cannot dissolve the people. It is only the people that can dissolve the government at anytime they so wish.”

Honourable Ogene, who spoke along with Honourable Opeyemi Bamidele, a member for the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said, “the crisis created by the removal of fuel subsidy is already taking its toll on the people, we are losing money on [a] daily basis. People are suffering; the unity of the country is being threatened. There is need for urgent adjustment to meet the yearnings of the people. As the elected representatives of the people, we have done our own part, it is left for the executive to act in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people.”

He pointed out that the House would not sit by and allow the nation’s growing democracy to be truncated due to hardline posture of the executive over the vexatious issue.

Comments (8)

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mr
written by ibrahim h mai jamaa, January 13, 2012

very good of you reps,this clearly shown mr president can neither solve nigerians problem nor to rule the entire country .just kick him out

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The Fuel Subsidy Removal The Way Forward
written by abraham, January 13, 2012

Hello fellow Nigerian, we need to provide solution to this problem of fuel subsidy. Every body is entitled to his/her opinion. The issue of fuel subsidy came into being because we are the producer of crude oil and every Nigerian suppose to benefit from it. It’s just like the Universal Basic Education where education is made free in order to accommodate every Nigerian child. The oil is for all Nigerian and not for few nor for the government only. The money that is spent on subsidy is Nigerian money and not the government. If there is to be any complain it should come from Nigerian. There is a saying that ” a producer of cloth should not be seen wearing rag”. How can we the producer of crude oil be suffering to buy fuel. We should rethink. We cannot be buying fuel the same price that non producing countries are buying it that is the meaning of the saying. In my own opinion, in order to cub the corruption that is going on in the oil sector, the Government instead of paying subsidy to the marketer should monetize the Nigerian workers. That is the amount needed to buy fuel should be included in their salary and the price then increased. I also want to make a comment on what finance minister said that it was the Governors that suggested the fuel subsidy removal. This may be so because the governors want the Federal Government to increase their allocations and be able to pay the minimum wage. So I believe that If the President can implement the minimum wage and the Governors do the same then this action would have been justified. Lastly our refinery should be restored so that the benefit of being a producing country should be enjoyed by all. A producer of cloth should not be seen wearing rag. God bless Nigeria. I pray the people in Government should read this and do the right thing.

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President Please withdraw for them.
written by David C. E., January 13, 2012

Mr. President, some of us have seen and have known your good intentions for the betterment of the Nation but the it certainly does not work. There is the adage that one can only take a horse to the stream but can not force it to drink water. Since the majority of the people you are ruling do not want to accept your offer, simply withdraw it completely and leave the country to stay the way it intends to. My suggestions are that, the President should revert the fuel pump price back to the former N65.00 per litre and suspend distributions of buses other palliatives as announced, also he should restate the salaries of political office holders including himself back to as it were. By this way their country would go the way they prefer it to be. After all if things goes worst the President is capable of existing in that envisaged state of the economy. It is always the truth; majority have to carry the poll of the day.

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Impeach him and face.........
written by koko, January 13, 2012

Any impeachment plot against GEJ will not go well with Nigerians and the entire country as a whole. Don’t forget that Mr. President is a true son of the Niger Delter the consequences will be worse than fuel subsidy removal in as much as there will be total Destabilization of the oil installations in that area, and the end might not be expected so easily. Anyway try and see what will happen to this counry.The crisis you cannot comprehend it.

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FG, Labour agree to shift ground
written by Babatunde Ganiyu, January 13, 2012

With the speech of the CBN Governor Sanusi in contributing to the on going crisis it shows that the man is a good Nigerian and talented person who know how to solve any economy problems may God continue to be with him always in all his doing.

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SUBSIDY REMOVAL
written by WISDOM OSA IMARHIAGBE, January 13, 2012

I believed so strongly and beyond all shadow of doubts that the Presidency is beginning to discover most of our country economic loopoles and lapses and the Government is bent on knoting them in a timely manner inrespective of the sharp effects on the citizens . One of these area is the Subsidy Saga because those managing it have been killing us ever since and i pray the Govt to further take another step to get these former unfaithful Fuel subsidy cabal arrested and prosecuted according to the Laws of the Land. Nigeria is about to shine her light again.

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Leadership is a process and not a forceful art.
written by Timotaiwo, January 13, 2012

Leadership simply means the process of leading,guiding, directing,and coordinating people towards achieving a common goal. The question from the foregoing is how much of leading, and guiding did sanusi and co did before misadvising GEJ who on his own failed to take needed innitiatives. OBJ told his ministers and advisers then that they can only advise him but he is at liberty to take thier advise or not. So, why cant GEJ think twice in this matter and feel the pause of Nigerians. How will a leader at that level not seek alternative solutions at least A$B apart from the main solution to a problem. Now they are talking of phased removal of the subsidy. Is this alternative not available before? They have not said the whole truth about this subsiby thing. They should just wait and allow PENGASSON shut the crude oil platforms today. There is still the issue of wastage and corruption in government which is another alternative this people should give attention to by stopping thier stealing habit. Bravo to the house of reps but they must scrutinise the 2012 appropriation extensively to cut down excesses.

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There is no better time!
written by Adejo IrokO, January 13, 2012

The government will be the present and future Nigerian generations a great disservice should it shift ground with whatever measure. There is no need since the whole process is about the benefits of the masses who though will bear some semblance of pains in the interim and would later absorb every benefits as soon as competition occasioned by deregulation takes effect. President Jonathan and his economic team mustn't shift yield to unpopular pressure irrespective of blackmail. God bless the Green, White & Green colors.

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