The thirty- six State Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF will on Thursday engage in a marathon meeting, with a view to nipping in the bud, the planned nation wide strike and mass protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
The emergency meeting which is scheduled to hold today, Thursday at 6 pm, will be the first NGF emergency virtual teleconference since the outbreak of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a statement by the NGF Head of Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, all the governors are expected to participate in the meeting aimed at seeking ways of settling the rift and finding a mutually agreed soft landing on amicable grounds.
The statement read, “Ahead of the threat by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to resort to an industrial action to force the Federal Government to rescind its decision to hike oil and electricity prices in the country, The Nigeria Governors’ Forum is holding an emergency meeting of all the governors to seek ways of settling the rift and finding a mutually agreed soft landing on amicable grounds.
“All governors are expected to attend the meeting as the matter is considered to be of urgent national importance, which needs to be quickly resolved in order not to worsen the already bad situation of Nigerians as caused by the Corona Virus pandemic, according to the DG of the Forum Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru.
“The meeting which is the first NGF emergency virtual teleconference starts at 6pm tomorrow, Thursday.”
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had insisted on going ahead with its earlier planned strike and protest, with effect from September 28, 2020, following what it described as failure on the part of the Federal Government to reverse the increases in electricity tariff and fuel price.
According to Labour, the hike in pump price of fuel and electricity tariff, “were ill-timed, and insensitive to the sufferings that Nigerians are going through,” calling on the government to reverse it.
Nick’s plan to embark on nationwide strike and mass protest against recent increase in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff hike was sealed on Tuesday as the highest decision making organ of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, the National Executive Council, NEC, ratified the decision the Central Working Committee, CWC.
It had also directed state councils to intensify mobilization of workers and other Nigerians preparatory for the strike scheduled to start on September 28.
By Henry Umoru,
Vanguard Nigeria