#SubsidyProtests: Senate Chief Whip Addresses Protesters At NASS

The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), has spoken to protesters at the National Assembly.

Ndume asked the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, and protesters currently at the National Assembly, to call off the nationwide protest and give the Senate one week to address the demands brought before it.

The PUNCH reports that protesters on Wednesday occupied the entrance of the Senate in the National Assembly as part of its protests against the fuel subsidy removal, among other issues.

Among the demands made by the NLC is for the government to return the fuel price to N520/litre as against what it described as the arbitrary increase by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited to N617/litre.

The labour unions also demanded immediate fixing of the refineries in Nigeria, in order to stopp the importation of fuel.

They further asked for a direct interface between the leadership of the unions and the President, as against a meeting with his Chief of Staff.

Responding, Ndume said there was already a motion on the floor of the Senate, co-authored by all senators, to address the issues surrounding the FG-Labour deliberations.

He urged the protesters to give the Senate one week to resolve the issues, after which the unions could embark on their proposed strike action if they were unsatisfied with the solutions offered.