The Nigeria Labour Congress says it has suspended nationwide protests it planned to hold against the government’s plan to remove subsidies on petroleum products.
The protests were scheduled to hold on Thursday 27 and February 2.
The government however announced on Monday a suspension of the planned subsidy removal, a move that many feared would lead to increased suffering on the masses.
NLC’s leaders took the decision to suspend its protests at a virtual meeting of the National Executive Council on Tuesday.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, told journalists that the decision to halt the planned protests followed the government’s reversal of the plan to remove the subsidies on the products. He explained that members of the labour union who had been mobilized for the protests would need to be demobilised following the decision to suspend the protests.
“At the peak of very rigorous mobilization of Nigerians by the Nigeria Labour Congress and a host of her civil society allies, the government through the Minister of Finance yesterday, January 24, 2022, made a public announcement reversing the plans to increase petrol pump price,” he said.
“The position of the government was also officially communicated to the Congress with calls for further engagement. Following the reversal and reapproach by the government, the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress met this morning virtually to consider the new position of the government.
“The NEC after vigorous debates took a decision to suspend the planned nationwide protest scheduled for January 27, 2022, and the national protest scheduled for February 2, 2022.”
NLC had planned the protests in collaboration with the Trade Union Congress which groups senior workers.
