Oil subsidy removal, other policies: Gombe NLC joins striking counterparts across Nigeria
…presents demands to Gombe Government for onward transmission
The Workers of Gombe State have joined their counterparts across the country to push for demands including reversal of oil subsidy removal and other policies considered to be anti-poor, which implicted hard economic realities on citizens.
The officials and other members of the respective unions conducted a peaceful rally in the metropolis terminating at the Gombe Township Stadium where they presented a letter to the state Government for onward presentation to the federal government.
Presenting the letter to the Deputy Governor and other top Government functionaries, the Chairman Nigerian Labour Congress, Gombe Chapter, Comrade Yusuf Aish, said they were complying with the Union’s National officials’ directive to embark on seven days warning strike to push forward for their demands to be met.
He listed the demands to include, reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in price of Petroleum Motor Spirit ( PMS) , increase in public school fees, and the release of 8 months with-held salary of university lecturers and increase of Value Added Tax ( VAT).
The letter reads in part ” We called on Federal Government to reverse all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS price, increase in public school fees, the release of the 8 months with-held salary of university lecturers and workers and increase in VAT.”
The letter also indicated that failure to meet their demands may lead workers to mobilise themselves for a nation-wide strike action.
” To give the federal government a seven-day ultimatum within which to meet all our demands and to embark on a natiin-wide action beginning from wednesday the 2nd of August, 2023 to compel the Government to reverse it’s anti- poor and anti- workers policies,” the letter added.
Responding to the workers, the Deputy Governor Manassah Daniel Jatau, said they have understood the position of workers and their demands and shall duely forward them to the federal government as all the demands were to be addressed by the federal government.
“We have listened to all your demands and they are not knew to us. But because all the demands are beyond us in the state we shall duely forward them to the appropriate quarters.
“We assure you that anytime we receive the feedback we shall inform you appropriately,” the Governor added.
The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, the acting Head of Civil Service, Alh. Abdullahi Kasimu and Permanent Secretaries were present at the event.
Wilson Jonah Yakubu
Press Secretary/Information Officer,
Deputy Governor’s Office.
