Tinubu govt gave each legislator N100 million but asked Nigerians to share one bag of rice – NLC plans indefinite strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress has described palliatives given to Nigerians by President Bola Tinubu as an insult.

The group noted that while each legislator went home with N100million, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians in each local government were made to struggle over few bags of rice.

On Tuesday, September 12, the organized labour announced plans to embark on an indefinite strike if government fail to meet its demands at the end of the 21-day ultimatum.

This strike comes following the failure of the government to provide palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the hardship as a result of the fuel subsidy removal.

NLC claims the strike would lead to an indefinite shutdown of commercial and economic activities across the country.

The National Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Christopher Onyeka, during an interview with Punch, said the FG was wrong to share a bag of rice to a dozen citizens while reportedly giving N100m palliative to each member of the National Assembly.

The letter said;

“If the government fails to provide the appropriate responses to our demands, we encourage you to maintain your steadfast resolve. The same passion and determination that fuelled this warning strike will be crucial if we find ourselves compelled to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike.

“We sent the letter to the Federal Government on September 1, 2023, so by September 22, 2023, the 21-day ultimatum will end.

“We have made it clear that the Federal Government has abandoned and absconded from the table for negotiation; that government is no longer negotiating with Nigerians and there is no good faith negotiation that is going on.

“President Bola Tinubu promised Nigerians on his own on the television with the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, that he was going to restructure the committees, but he did not do that, and since then the committees have not met and there has been no negotiation that is on-going. As it is, NLC is not negotiating with the government,” Onyeka said.

Expressing his displeasure at the treatment being unleashed upon Nigerians, the Assitant General Secretary said; “Can you see the insult that a ward would share a bag of rice and the government calls that a palliative? It is an insult to Nigerians, whereas the government gave legislators N70bn and each of the legislators gets over N100m in a country where Nigerians are suffering.

“The FG is buying cars and houses of over N100m for each person and Nigerians are keeping quiet as if what is going on is a normal thing. NLC calls Nigerians to join hands together because they cannot do it alone.

“When NLC calls for action, people should come out, they should because it is a collective effort to make the government yield to the desires and the interest of Nigerians.”

BS