"President Tinubu Appeals to Labor: Kindly Allow More Time for Resolving Demands"

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to the Labor sector to grant his administration more time to address their demands. This plea came as a response to the protest notice issued by the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC). The NLC had rejected the increase in petrol pump prices to N617 per litre and demanded that the Federal Government reverse all anti-worker policies within seven days, threatening a mass protest if their demands were not met.

In a bid to prevent the planned protest scheduled for August 2, the House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abass, led a delegation to meet with President Tinubu. The House expressed its willingness to intervene in the matter.

Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, disclosed that talks between the government and Labor had been productive during a briefing after a meeting. The discussions focused on measures such as compressed natural gas (CNG), mass transportation, cleaner energy, and reduction of transportation costs to mitigate the impact of petrol subsidy removal.

Despite the efforts of the government, the NLC remains firm in its decision to proceed with the protest on August 2. The NLC leadership, including President Joe Ajaero and Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart Festus Osifo, stood their ground during discussions with the Steering Committee, expressing dissatisfaction with some of the offers made.

The Ministry of Justice reminded Labor that proceeding with the strike would be considered contempt of court due to a pending order and suit related to the issues at hand. The Federal Government urged Labor to allow the court to handle the matter and avoid adverse consequences.

In conclusion, the situation remains tense as the government requests more time to address Labor's demands while the NLC stands firm on its planned protest date. Talks are ongoing, but both sides are yet to reach a consensus on the contentious issues.