All Progressives Congress (APC) Professional Forum has appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience with President Bola Tinubu regarding his promises to review workers’ salaries and introduce palliative measures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the chairman, Board of Trustee of the APC Professional Forum and the former governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda, also commended the labour unions for heeding the voice of reason by returning to the negotiation table after an initial reluctance, and later by agreeing to suspend the planned nationwide strike.
He said the forum was compelled to address the media on issues surrounding fuel subsidy removal in the aftermath of Tinubu’s inauguration day address on May 29.
Yuguda added that what Tinubu did was to let the country know what he was inheriting, especially as it was backed by the 2023 Appropriation Act and the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021 which had a clear timeline for subsidy removal.
He said so much had been said about what fuel subsidy was costing us as a nation and how it was affecting service delivery across all sectors.
He reaffirmed the forum’s position that Tinubu did no wrong by reminding Nigerians that fuel subsidy was gone in his May 29 speech.
Yuguda said, “From all indications, promises were made by the government side led by Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila including what is likely to pave way for a new national minimum wage, palliatives and a framework for the completion of the ongoing overhaul of the nation’s refineries.
“Our message to organised labour is for them to trust the man Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to trust the process.
“President Tinubu is a promise keeper. He will keep his vow to review workers’ salaries which he first hinted at even before his team went into talks with labour over fuel subsidy removal.
“We have an administration in place led by a pro-people President that will keep to the terms of his Renewed Hope agenda so NLC and TUC as well as the good people of Nigeria have no reason to doubt that the agreements will be kept.
“We also saw how, without much ado, the President resolved a health workers’ strike which began a few days to his inauguration on May 25, by holding direct talks with the leadership of the Joint Health Sectors Union (JOHESU) on the same day talks were held to resolve issues surrounding fuel subsidy.
“We dare say that all these should provide clear insight into the hands-on approach that President Tinubu is bringing into governance at the centre.”
The forum urged Nigerians to “exercise patience and support the President even in the face of the initial discomfort that the removal of fuel subsidy will bring before it tapers off in the not-too-distant future.
“We also want to draw attention to the government’s resolve to implement palliative measures to cushion the effect of the policy on the citizens, especially the poor and low-income earners.”
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