Subsidy: Labour institute's D-G tasks FG, Labour on dialogue
Mr Issa Aremu, the Director General of Michael Imoudu National Institute For Labour Studies (MINILS), has called for continuous dialogue between the organised labour and Federal Government on the current petroleum subsidy impasse.
Making the appeal in a statement made available to newsmen Ilorin on Sunday, Aremu emphasised the imperative of policy dialogue and discussions between government and relevant stakeholders on the vexed issue of deregulation.
He expressed optimism that through exchange of facts, negotiations and compromises, both parties would find a common ground for the inevitable reform of the petroleum downstream sector.
He noted that the sector unions, including PENGASSAN and NUPENG, have been pushing for this common grounds for years.
Aremu recalled that petroleum products supply and pricing had always been an acid test for successive governments in Nigeria.
Aremu, who was the former vice president of the Nigeria Labour Congress( NLC), however, observed that what made the current reform different is that there is a national consensus among all stakeholders that prohibitive costs of subsidising a single product (PMS) in the wake of declining public revenue and other national needs are unsustainable.
“The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) with all its imperfections has rightly unbundled NNPC and legitimised deregulation.
“Neither policy reversal or mass protest is an option, but genuine negotiation and social dialogue would make the deregulation policy a reality without compromising the welfare of the citizens with respect to welfare and secured job,” he said.
The director-general commended the initiative of President Bola Tinubu for meeting with labour leaders, which he described as labour friendly and a leader that is accessible and open to engagement.
He challenged the labour and civil society to reciprocate the presidential gesture with creative options that would protect the existing public and private jobs.
According to him, this will be through better remuneration to cushion the inflationary pressures and create more decent jobs, adding that Tinubu had even alluded to new minimum wage.
He said the current policy contestations and discourses are good for national development, adding what is needed is to “work out win-win options” for the petroleum downstream sector in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
(NAN)
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Kale Bayero C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng Abatemi Usman Jawondo Overland Kwara Consultative Forum Abdullateef Abdussalam Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia Muftau Akanbi Oke Afolabi-Oshatimehin Afeyin-Olukuta Abubakar Suleiman Shehu Jimoh ANCOPPS Aliyu Umar Just Event Online Olawuyi Modupe Oluwole Rabiu Kwankwaso Adamu Ibrahim Sabi Turaki Of Ilorin Minimum Wage Kwara 2015 Dauda Adeniran Adeshola Elerin Of Adanla Irese Radio Kwara Yusuf Amuda Aluko Offa Descendants Union Sidikat Uthman Ajibola Abubakar Atiku Oladipo Akanmu Tolani Rasheed Jimoh Kwara United Bello Taoheed Abubakar Olabimpe Olani Towoju Saadu Gbogbo Iwe Lanre Badmas Amule Olusin Of Ijara Isin Bashir Badawi MMWG Ibikunle Ogunleye Albert Ogunsola Musibau Akanji IYA ALFA NLA Ayinde Oyepitan Ibrahim Oloriegbe Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita Adesoye College Senate President Kamaldeen Ajibade Paul Odama Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim AGILE Programme Isaac Aderemi Kolawole Mohammed Abdulahi Code Of Conduct Tribunal Ilofa JUSUN College Of Health Ministry Of Women Affairs And Social Development Funmilayo Braithwaite Olokoba Abdullahi Ayinla Saliu Alamoyo Sa\'adatu Modibbo-Kawu Laduba Oloyede Sulyman Age AbdulKareem Read With Me Aminu Adisa Logun International Public Sector Accounting Standards Ridwan Agboola KWASSIP Tosin Saraki Centre For Peace And Strategic Studies Baba Idris

