The Nigerian Senate has set up a three-man committee to engage in dialogue with members of Organised Labour who protested at the National Assembly against the removal of petrol subsidy. The committee, led by Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume, will engage with the protesters and address their demands. During the protest, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero submitted a letter of protest to the Senate, demanding an end to the arbitrary increase in fuel and education costs, a reduction in transport costs, and the repair of non-functional refineries in the country.
The protests were triggered by the Federal Government’s decision to discontinue petrol subsidy, leading to economic hardship for many Nigerians. The demonstrations took place in Abuja and other states across the country, with protesters expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s policies and calling for concrete solutions to address the challenges in the oil sector.
During the protests, the demonstrators forcefully pulled down one of the gates of the National Assembly Complex to gain entry, defying the security operatives who tried to prevent their access. The protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations until their demands are met.
The Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had promised measures to alleviate the hardships caused by the fuel subsidy removal, but the NLC and other protesters deemed the promises insufficient and demanded more concrete actions, including fixing the non-functional refineries in the country.
The protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the hikes in fuel prices and the failure of the Tinubu administration to reverse “unfriendly policies targeted against the poor”.
Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: #BringBackOurRefineries; #LetThePoorBreathe; and #ALUTACONTINUA.
From Unity Fountain, the protesters headed to the National Assembly gate.
