The Federal Government has once more called on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), civil society organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders to reconsider their decision to embark on a nationwide striking protest, saying the final outcome of the downstream sector deregulation would be something to make Nigerians laugh last.
The Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Youth and Students Affairs stated this yesterday in a statement signed by his technical assistant on youth and students, Comrade Okpanachi Jacob, and made available to the press in Abuja.
He said Nigerian youth should endeavour to search for authentic information on the reasons for the increase in petrol price before taking any action as the Labour and other civil society organisations are bent on doing today.
He explained that the deregulation is for the common good of all Nigerians, specially youth and students who have the largest number of unemployed in the country.
“As the Minister of State stated earlier, the deregulation will free up funds for job creation and other productive activities that will transform the lives of the people of this country.
“With the current deregulation, government is assuring Nigerians of recovering over 200,000 jobs from the 400,000 losses that attended the regulation policy in the last ten years. Government will not stand and watch when the nation’s foreign exchange is depleted to the advantage of a few. It’s therefore a hard decision and difficult choice to be made, but government is determined to solve the problem of the oil sector once for all,” he urged.
He therefore urged Nigerian youth to look forward to a bright and prosperous future in which they would be key-players and game-changers as the current administration is desirous of expanding the opportunities and carrying the youth along in all key decisions affecting their lives.
“I urge all Nigerian youth and students, in particular, to desist from any act that would lead to breakdown of law and order in the name of protest against this lofty decision of the federal government. I also want to use this medium to appeal to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other stakeholders to reconsider their decision to embark on a strike,” he pleaded.
