The Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC) has declared a two-day warning strike which will begin on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this on Friday, September 1, 2023, during a press conference at the Labour House in Abuja.

According to Ajaero, the two-day warning strike is in protest against the Federal Government for failing to address the challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.

The NLC is accusing the Federal Government of going back on the negotiations and failing to implement some of the resolutions from previous meetings that were held.

On August 2, the NLC held a protest on what it described bed as the anti-people policies of the current administration.

The NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliate unions demonstrated in Abuja and several states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, and Rivers.

The protest also took place in Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.

The protest was due to a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government demanding the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government.

The policies include the recent hike in PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers”.

Also, the union demanded an upward review of the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000, saying that since the President’s “subsidy is gone” inauguration speech of May 29, 2023, the peace of mind of Nigerians has gone.

President Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidy after his swearing-in on May 29 in Abuja.

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For many years, the Nigerian economy has subsided in various ways.

The aspects of the economy subsidised include; fuel, education, electricity, and forex.

Fuel subsidies began in the 1970s and became institutionalised in 1977, following the promulgation of the Price Control Act which made it illegal for some products (including petrol) to be sold above the regulated price.

While the concept of subsidy itself is noble, its administration in Nigeria has been plagued with serious allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

The Nigerian economy has been subsided in various ways for many years and this includes fuel, education, electricity, forex etc. Fuel subsidies began in the 1970s and became institutionalised in 1977, following the promulgation of the Price Control Act which made it illegal for some products (including petrol) to be sold above the regulated price.

While the concept of subsidy itself is noble, its administration in Nigeria has been plagued with serious allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

However, the cost of subsidising petrol has ballooned over time and riots have broken out merely over rumours of any increase in the past.

In the eight years of the Buhari administration (2015 -2023), subsidy payments gulped about N11.4 trillion.

A breakdown of data from the civic-tech group, Budgit, shows that N316 billion was paid for subsidy in 2015. The figure dropped to N99 billion and N141.6 billion in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

By 2018, a staggering N722 billion was paid for petrol subsidy. Then in 2019, the government spent N578 billion and N134 billion in 2020.

The following year, 2021, the federal government appropriated N1.42 trillion for a petrol subsidy and N4.3 trillion in 2022. In the 2023 budget, the Nigerian government budgeted N3.6 trillion for petrol subsidy for six months ending in June. That’s roughly N560 billion every month.

These amounts are more than what the government spent on education, health and infrastructure during the period under review.

In the build-up to the 2023 general elections, fuel subsidy removal became one of the major issues in the campaigns. The three major presidential candidates promised to remove the subsidy.

Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the presidential election in February with 37 per cent of the votes. His main rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who polled 29 per cent, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi who polled 25 per cent are challenging Mr Tinubu’s victory. All three men promised to remove the subsidy on petrol.