Tinubu to address Nigerians as hardship bites harder
President Bola Tinubu
Amidst growing anger over some policies of his about 2-month old administration that have led to astronomical rise in cost of living and planned protest by Labour unions, the presidency has announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address Nigerians today, Monday, 31, July.
Presidential spokesperson, Dele Alake said in a statement that Tinubu will address Nigerians in a national the broadcast scheduled for 7 pm.
He urged television, radio stations to link up with the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA and Federal Radio Corporation, FRCN for the national broadcast.
“Television, radio stations and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and Radio Nigeria for the broadcast”, he stated.
It is expected that the President will will use the national broadcast to announce measures that will cushion increased hardship in the country following removal of fuel subsidy which has resulted in general rise in prices of goods and services.
The President is also expected to appeal to Nigerians for continuous support of his ongoing economic reforms.
Specifically, Tinubu is expected to appeal to labour unions to call of their protest scheduled for next Wednesday to protest removal of fuel subsidy and delay by government in announcement of palliatives to cushion the effects of rise in prices of good and services across the country as a result of the policy.
The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC had on Friday walked out of a meeting with the Federal Government called to deliberate on palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal in the country.
The NLC team, which was led by the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, did not speak to journalists on why they abandoned the meeting.
However, a former President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peter Esele, has said the Federal Government has not done enough to stop organised labour from embarking on protest over the fuel subsidy removal.
Esele who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on Sunday, said the Federal Government should not have allowed labour to go ahead and issue an ultimatum over the subsidy issue.
He added that it will be very difficult for Ajaero to back out of the strike.
“And the other option for the government is that they should come out and say ‘This is what we are doing’. You just saw one of their demands which is that government should invest in CNG.
“I also have my worry about the protest and the strike but the challenge now is that even the organised labour will be up against the leadership for them to do something. So, the Federal Government has not done enough in allowing labour to go this far,” Esele said.
Pmnewsnigeria.com
