FG Subsidy Removal Turns Workers Into Slavery, Beggars, Says Bauchi NLC

By; Mohammed Kawu, Bauchi

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Bauchi has observed with dismay that the Federal Government failed to realize that no meaningful development will progress without subsidies.

The Congress said, “Government at the centre has failed to realize that no developing will progress without subsidies. Even the so called developed nations do grant economy subsidies in all the areas we mentioned above”.

The NLC in commemoration of the International Workers Day in Bauchi Wednesday viewed the action of Federal Government on removal of subsidies as an effort to impoverish the citizens and turn all workers to slavery and beggars.

The Bauchi State Chairman of the Congress, Comrade Dauda Shu’aibu explained that the subsidy removsl is also a bid to satisfy the western world and their retrogressive agenda against African countries with huge potentials which they view as a threat to their economies.

According to the Bauchi congress, there is no logic in removing subsidy and giving a paltry palliative that cannot cover one quarter of the country’s citizens.

“It is unfortunate that, Government has also continued to foot drag on the issue of new minimum Wage. We are therefore calling on workers to brace up and prepare for a big show down if the issue is further delayed unnecessarily”, Shu’aibu added.

The Bauchi NLC Chairman frowned, “We cannot continue to watch while people are dying of hunger and malnutrition due to an artificial inflation imposed on citizens and negligence on the part of authorities”.

It could be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on assumption of office on May 23, 2023 in an inaugural speech officially announced the removal of subsidy on fuel

“The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federation, had on assumption of office in May 2023, promised to sustain and improve on the issue of citizens’ welfare and security which is the cardinal objectives of any administration”.

Comrade Dauda Shu’aibu sa’id however that, for the past one year, there is no noticeable change in the life of workers and citizens, a situation he described as an additional impoverishment, with pervasive poverty and joblessness of the youths and graduates continueing unabated.

On state matters, the Bauchi NLC appealed to Governor Bala Mohammed to hasten the provision of fertilizer and farm inputs at the early stage of farming season to support workers which, the labour recalled, his administration has been doing annually since it’s assumption of office in the last six years.

He explained that the same gesture should also be given accelerated attention this year to enable farmers, workers and citizens get access to the materials at affordable rates, describing agriculture and food security as number one stabilizer of the economy of the state and the nation through provision of jobs and food for the common man.

The State Head of Civil Service, Alh. Yahuza Adamu Haruna expressed delight that the state government had maintained the use of the civil service as the primary machinery for implementing its policies, programmes and projects, saying the full involvement of civil servants and representations of the Organized Labour are clear testimony of government’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of Civil Servants.

Alh. Yahuza Adamu Harina therefore called on the civil service to continue to reciprocate the present administration’s gesture through strong ownership,
support and propagation of its policies and programmes towards improvement of the state fortunes, stressing “To whom is given, much is expected”.

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