According to reports reaching Oyogist.com, the meeting organised by Labour leaders with the Government ended abruptly yesternight as the Nigerian Government refused to address the issue of the recent hike in Fuel pump price.
Present At the meeting, which started at 8:18pm were Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) General Secretary Joe Ajaero, among other union leaders.
Immediately after the meeting, NLC General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja during an interview with newsmen said the union leaders left the session because the government team was not willing to address the latest hike in fuel pump price which violated the understanding they had with the government.
He said: “We felt we should address the issue of petroleum prices before whether there is need for palliatives or not. On that strength, we felt we could not continue with the meeting whose agenda is wrongly prioritized. When the government is willing to take it the way it is, we are ever ready to engage and to have things properly determined.
“We have had some understanding over time, but while these meetings were ongoing, we were suddenly slapped with a new increase in petroleum prices and we felt that was beyond what we had as an understanding with the government.
“We felt that (petrol increase) should be the first item for understanding today. But surprisingly the government team felt otherwise, they felt the issue of imaginary palliatives should be discussed before what is causing the need for the palliatives should be discussed.
“And we felt that was putting the cart before the horse. We want to address the issue on petroleum pricing before we begin to think whether there is need for palliatives or not and on that strength we felt we cannot continue with a meeting whose agenda is wrongly prioritised.
“When the government is willing to take it the way it is, we are ever ready to engage and to have things properly determined. We have to go back to our organs to agree on the way forward, because we have leadership, we are known and clearly with that position we have to tell our members what the situation is.” he concluded.
