Yesterday, organized labor agreed to allow eight weeks for talks to conclude regarding the removal of the gasoline subsidy but demanded that any remaining ambiguities be clarified before reaching an agreement on the implementation framework that would be used as a result.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, presided over the meeting at the Presidential Villa, where a Presidential Proposal Steering Committee with five subcommittees was established.
The negotiations continue today, and the established subcommittees—Cash Transfers, Social Investment Programme (SIP), Cost of Governance, Energy, Mass Transit, and Housing—have been given eight weeks to complete their tasks in order to expedite the framework's implementation for cushioning Nigerians' impact of the removal of the gasoline subsidy. Today, candidates for the committees would be announced.
Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, said that representations on the committees shouldn't be lopsided, pointing to the unresolved issues. He stated that the steering committee and subcommittee membership should be agreed upon at 60% to 40%. He stated that it was essential that they return to the usual procedure for establishing tripartite committees in the past.
He promised that the government would significantly cushion the removal of fuel subsidies if the proposed solutions and recommendations were faithfully implemented.
“If we all sit down, thoroughly examine the committees, and come up with solutions and recommendations that the government can adopt and work on, there is a promising note that something may happen.
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