EDO, Nigeria – Adams Oshiomhole, a former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will take immediate steps to mitigate the negative impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.
Speaking on Sunday, June 4, 2023, in an interview with Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Oshiomhole said he is confident that any issues arising from the subsidy removal will be quickly resolved between the Federal Government and organized labour.
Oshiomhole stated, “This president recognizes that the effect of the withdrawal is already here, people are already going through some level of discomfort and therefore there has to be an immediate solution to it.”
The former governor emphasized that the urgency of the situation is recognized, and that a solution is being discussed.
He also mentioned that the fact that another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday indicates that time is of the essence.
According to Oshiomhole, “We have a solution to it because you are going to make savings, so take from that savings or even if it is borrowing.
So, whatever it is, you can leverage some revenue and improve wages to cushion the cost of living, I think it is legitimate, I think it is doable, it is not something that you want to spend two to three months negotiating.”
A former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Oshiomhole participated in a meeting between the Federal Government and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, on Sunday, June 4, 2023.
He described the meeting as productive and added that the government will consider all the TUC’s demands and revert on Tuesday.
Oshiomhole believes that if Nigeria can save about N7 trillion from ending subsidy, part of that money can be used in the wage sector.
He added, “This is possible because those savings will go into the federation account which will be distributed among the three tiers of government and so every tier of government will have more money and should be able to meet the consequential increase in wages.”
