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Tinubu’s unfulfilled promise of CNG conversion centres baffling — Oyo NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Oyo State has explained that its national leadership suspended the nationwide protest rallies to give the government more time to address the issues contained in the Memoranda of Understanding signed on October 2, 2023.

Addressing a press conference at the NLC state secretariat, the Oyo NLC Chairman, Mr Kayode Martins, said some of its demands from the government were the need for the provision of CNG conversion centres across the state, the rehabilitation of local refineries, and the provision of modular refineries.

He particularly noted that the labour was dismayed that the federal government has yet to provide the promised high-capacity CNG buses for mass transit in Nigeria.

The NLC leader referenced the government’s promise to roll out an initial 55,000 CNG conversion kits and an autogas conversion programme with pilots across 10 campuses nationwide, which had yet to see the light of day.

Speaking, Martins said the federal government was expected to grant a wage award of $35,000 to all federal government workers pending the arrival of a new national minimum wage.

He added that the NLC also wanted the suspension of the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on diesel for six months and the government to implement various tax incentive measures for the private sector and the general public.

The standing request, he added, is that the federal government commit to paying N25,000 per month to 15 million households for three months, including vulnerable pensioners.

He added that the government is expected to increase its initiatives on the subsidised distribution of fertilisers to farmers across the country.

Martins reiterated Labour’s call on the government to commit to the provision of funds for micro- and small-scale enterprises and attend to the issue of outstanding salaries and wages of tertiary education workers in federally owned institutions.

Reiterating its commitment to the rights and welfare of Nigerians, the NLC asked the government to prioritise the enactment of policies that promote economic stability and address systemic issues that perpetuate inequality and suffering.

The NLC also demanded that state governments consider giving wage awards to not only state workers but also local government and private sector workers.

This is because it expressed a commitment to visiting refineries to ascertain their rehabilitation status.

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