Subsidy Removal: FG sets up committee to liaise with labour union

He said the council commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their interventions.

News Agency of Nigeria • August 17, 2023

Kashim Shettima (Credit: Kashim Shettima)

The National Economic Council (NEC) has constituted an ad hoc committee to engage with the leadership of labour unions to resolve issues surrounding the petrol subsidy removal.

In a statement, Olusola Abiola, the spokesperson for the Office of the Vice President, said the decision was reached at the 135th meeting of NEC, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja on Thursday.

The committee comprises the Nigerian Governors’ Forum chairman, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra and the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.

Others are the PDP Governors Forum chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.

Mr Abiola said the council also received progress reports on the ongoing nationwide distribution of rice, grains, fertiliser and other items to states and N5 billion in financial support provided by the federal government.

He said the council commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their interventions.

He said NEC also mourned the death of some military personnel in Niger State and observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased while commiserating with their families.

“Below are other highlights of the meeting; Excess Crude Account from July 19 to August 14, 2023, US$473,754.57: Stabilisation Account from July 18 to August 14, N30,346,557,405.12; Natural Resources Account from July 18 to August 14, N115,175,616,159.65.

“At the 128th NEC meeting held on October 20, 2022, the then chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, drew the attention of the council to the devastating effect of the 2022 flooding, which affected about 31 States of the Federation,” he said.

Mr Abiola said the council resolved to set up a five-man ad hoc committee on flooding, comprising Jigawa, Kogi, Anambra, Bayelsa, Lagos, and Yobe States governors.

He said those coopted into the committee were the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Minister of Water Resources, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, governor of the CBN and director-general of NEMA.

(NAN)

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