Kogi State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the state government to urgently put measures in place to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
Chairman of the Council, Comrade Gabriel Amari made the call while speaking on the hardship being faced by the people, especially workers, on Friday.
Comrade Amari noted that while the Federal Government is working out its palliatives for the people, there was need for the state government to also set in motion, special measures to assist the populace.
He emphasized that other states across the country have instituted measures in various ways to reduce the effects of the subsidy removal on the people, adding that such measures should be emulated by Kogi state government.
Comrade Amari particularly appealed to Governor Yahaya Bello to listen to the voice of reasoning as the economy has been virtually paralyzed in all spheres.
The labour leader maintained that if nothing was done, it would be difficult for workers to improve productivity as a result of high cost of transport and goods generally.
“Let me state categorically that since the inception of the present administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, fuel price has been increased two times; first, from two hundred naira to over five hundred naira and now from five hundred and forty naira to six hundred and seventeen naira. This is unbearable as our people can no longer pay their bills, feed the children and meet other basic family obligations.
“This is not the dream of the people of Kogi State and Nigerians at large,” he said.
He appealed to Governor Yahaya Bello to demonstrate his labour friendliness by doing something now before the situation gets out of hand.
Comrade Amari, however, assured that the leadership of the NLC in Nigeria would not rest in its bid to realize the agreement reached with the federal government on the measures to alleviate the sufferings of the masses occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
