Daud Olatunji
03 January 2012, Sweetcrude, ABEOKUTA—The Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have urged the National Assembly to commence impeachment process on President Goodluck Jonathan for alleged contravention of the constitution over the recent removal of fuel subsidy.
This also coincided with a mass protest by students under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) against the removal of fuel subsidy.
The students who shut down the state capital for hours during the protest march that took place on major streets in the state capital, described the policy as anti-people.
The state chairman of NLC, Comrade Akeem Ambali, while reacting to the removal of fuel subsidy, in Abeokuta described the action as a rude shock to Nigerians.
According to him, “the state chapter of NLC received with rude shock the lawlessness of President Jonathan to give Nigerians this kind of New Year gift. It is simply a bad new year gift which all Nigerians have to reject.”
Speaking further, Ambali said “the National Assembly must as a matter of urgency begin impeachment proceedings against Mr. President. This is not what we are asking for; the problem of Boko Haram is there staring us at face without any positive step from Mr. President, yet, he decided to inflict us with this injury on increase in pump price of petroleum products.”
The NLC chairman pointed out that all the state civil servants would “reject this illegal, insensitive and unjustifiable action. Ogun state workers are determine to fight this struggle.”
Similarly, the state chairman of TUC, Comrade Seyi Adebanjo called on the National Assembly to sanction the President for not seeking approval before the removal.
He vowed that the TUC would react in a very harsh way to the policy as soon as it gets directive from its national body.
Meantime, the students who carried placards with various inscriptions were led by the Public Relations Officer of the association, Clement Olusegun who threatened to make the country ungovernable for the government unless the removal of oil subsidy is reversed.
Olusegun criticised the Federal Government for not doing much in building new refineries and repairing existing ones.
