Strike: Kano Civil society group throws weight behind NLC

Kano Civil Society Forum have thrown full weight behind the proposed Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade union Congress [TUC] nationwide strike.

The strike is targeted against the Federal Government’s new fuel price regime.

The group made its position known after its state emergency congress yesterday.

The civil society group, an umbrella body of over 100 Kano based human right organizations, insisted they would not hesitate to spearhead the total shut down of activities in Kano.

They resolutely vowed to do same even if the labour movement backs out of the struggle.

General Secretary of the forum Dr. Musa Bashir addressed journalists shortly after its congress yesterday.

He condemned the increase of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as Petrol from N86.50 to N145.

He also accused the Federal Government of not considering the hard economic conditions Nigerians are currently experiencing.

The Secretary General of the group unveiled the support of the civil society to the plan strike.

He said they are prepared to collaborate with other pressure groups and labour movement to press home their demand.

Dr. Bashir insisted that Federal Government should rather focus its energy on revamping and building local refineries to meet domestic needs of Nigerians.

The group challenged government to crack down the cabals responsible in the crisis of payment of fuel subsidy rather than pushing the blame to poor masses.

The emergency meetings of the national executive councils of the NLC, the TUC and Civil Society Organisations [CSOs] held on Friday May 13, 2016. 

Arising from the meeting, a joint communique was issued which upheld TUC’s five-day ultimatum issued to the federal government, to rescind the fuel price hike.

The ultimatum will expire on May 17 by midnight.

The emergency meeting debated extensively the implications of government’s unilateral increase in prices of petroleum products.

It noted government’s disinclination for consultation on issues of public interest and its obsession with protecting product marketers at the expense of the Nigerian public.

The meeting expressed concern about government’s neo-liberal policies which it considered a betrayal of its electioneering promises.

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