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Fuel Subsidy Threatened Nigeria’s Survival, Made Marketers Rich — TUC

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The Deputy Chairman, Lagos State chapter of Trade Union Congress, Comrade Idogen Emmanuel, said the realisation that neighbouring countries were benefiting immensely from Nigeria’s subsidised fuel informed the decision to shelve the planned strike of the congress.

 

While noting that the fuel subsidy regime threatened the survival of the country, he added that marketers were feeding fat on it and smiling to the bank.

 

Speaking to journalists in Benin at the weekend, Emmanuel said while the removal of the fuel subsidy was painful, the nation cannot continue to subsidise fuel for citizens of Cameroun, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, and Senegal.

Emmanuel. however, urged the government to take a holistic approach to cushion the removal of the subsidy.

He said, “Initially, the union did not believe that there is anything like subsidy, but after finding out that petroleum marketers take the products to African countries like Cameroon, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana and up to Senegal and make more money, the union decided to back down.

“The government should consider holistic measures such as the provision of mass transit buses, as well as plowing funds into education, health and agriculture sectors to boost learning, well-being and food sufficiency in the country.

He observed that the Nigeria Labour Congress, in calling out workers for the suspended strike action did not follow due process, as it ought to have given the government mandatory 14 days strike notice including three days warning strike.

“The TUC also observed that the NLC did not give the mandatory 14 days before strike action. That was why we decided to rescind our decision to embark on strike. This was why we also asked all the stakeholders to go back to draw a plan since the minimum wage will not benefit every common man on the streets,” he added.

The Lagos TUC deputy chairman also disclosed that he was in the Edo State to pick the intent form to contest the September 19, 2023 Local Government Elections in the state for the position of Chairmanship on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said he decided to contest for the office Esan South East local government has over the years been “politically rapped” by past administrators who governed the council.

He said if elected he would use mechanized farming as a means of creating gainful employment in the local government area given its rich and vast arable land, while also boosting its IGR

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Woman killed while crossing road in Anambra

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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.

 

The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.

 

He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.

“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.

“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.

“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.

“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.

While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.

He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.

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LASG’s maize palliative impactful, says poultry association chair

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Sanwo-Olu

The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.

 

Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

 

“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.

“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.

“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.

He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.

According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.

“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.

“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.

“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.

He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.

“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.

“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.

He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.

“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.

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