Labour Stages Protest against Hike in Fuel Price in Osun, by Olaniyi Abdulwaheed

The Nigeria Labour Congress yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, capital of Osun State in collaboration with civil society organization and students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife over the hike in pump price of petroleum.

During the protests, different labour unions like Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASUU), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) allied with Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Osun.

While speaking with PENMIND, Mr. Jacob Adekunmi the chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress in Osun said that NLC held a meeting with the federal government on Tuesday but they were not aware of court injunction concerning the protest.

Retrospectively, the chairman said that when the electricity tariff was increased, the federal government failed to comply with the court injunction to reduce it, saying that there was lawlessness in the country.

Adekunmi added that they were only waiting for the direction from the national headquarters of their union, that the strike was indefinite until they heard otherwise.

“The strike is indefinite and it will continue until we hear otherwise. If the federal government fails to comply, we will continue,” he said.

He said further that no school was opened except private and market women also joined them, saying that shops were half open.

Then the students’ Union of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in their communiqué concerning the hike in fuel price, they demanded the total reversal of the price of fuel, saying that fuel should not be sold above N87 per litre. They added that there was no such thing as subsidy on fuel.

They also demanded that federal government should rationalize the oil sector and take full charge of it by placing it under democratic control of workers and the general public, adding that government should seize the shares of private individuals in the oil production. The Nigeria Labour Congress yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, capital of Osun State in collaboration with civil society organization and students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife over the hike in pump price of petroleum.

During the protests, different labour unions like Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASUU), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) allied with Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Osun.

While speaking with PENMIND, Mr. Jacob Adekunmi the chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress in Osun said that NLC held a meeting with the federal government on Tuesday but they were not aware of court injunction concerning the protest.

Retrospectively, the chairman said that when the electricity tariff was increased, the federal government failed to comply with the court injunction to reduce it, saying that there was lawlessness in the country.

Adekunmi added that they were only waiting for the direction from the national headquarters of their union, that the strike was indefinite until they heard otherwise.

“The strike is indefinite and it will continue until we hear otherwise. If the federal government fails to comply, we will continue,” he said.

He said further that no school was opened except private and market women also joined them, saying that shops were half open.

Then the students’ Union of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in their communiqué concerning the hike in fuel price, they demanded the total reversal of the price of fuel, saying that fuel should not be sold above N87 per litre. They added that there was no such thing as subsidy on fuel.

They also demanded that federal government should rationalize the oil sector and take full charge of it by placing it under democratic control of workers and the general public, adding that government should seize the shares of private individuals in the oil production.