The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) may be heading for a showdown with the Federal Government over the scarcity of naira notes and petroleum products in the country.
The unavailability of cash and petrol in filling stations has thrown the country into chaos and anguish.
The Congress gave the government a seven-day ultimatum to end queues at filling stations and banks by making cash and petroleum products available to Nigerians. https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-2023028789149162&output=html&h=250&slotname=5559997686&adk=376680342&adf=520586294&pi=t.ma~as.5559997686&w=300&lmt=1678738890&format=300×250&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenigerialawyer.com%2Fnlc-gives-fg-seven-days-to-end-cash-crunch%2F&wgl=1&dt=1678746475758&bpp=77&bdt=7027&idt=77&shv=r20230309&mjsv=m202302230101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D684b4eb87a9ff37f-22f771df94db004f%3AT%3D1675211174%3ART%3D1675211174%3AS%3DALNI_MYWhbb5YWq47CkVlXZ58gy6D22Q8g&gpic=UID%3D00000bd039a7b40c%3AT%3D1675211174%3ART%3D1678745249%3AS%3DALNI_MaFsQ3VfiSB2HFigzxoMAfqeYKxuA&prev_fmts=696×174%2C696x174%2C0x0%2C728x90%2C468x60&nras=1&correlator=7801849981296&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=390727257.1675211171&ga_sid=1678746473&ga_hid=545033613&ga_fc=1&u_tz=60&u_his=27&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_sd=1&adx=141&ady=1617&biw=1349&bih=615&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759876%2C44759837%2C44777876%2C44759927%2C31073058&oid=2&psts=AD37Y7tOrnYl4kVEC3GMsSsADrRyDV7L_Ev1621zqj4LsKTis06UL2BY7ILJIvgbCq4jLe3_V9BcjctdcjpGakCyXQ%2CAD37Y7s3yDBPwR46DUYMe6h7j891se0xEHYGZREcxHVSP2_izPey_jiS5nbEtrSzrKR0DfTKU1wpiyjP1a_vL5wetQ&pvsid=2485679899578377&tmod=1647564822&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fthenigerialawyer.com%2Fcategory%2Fmetro-news%2F&fc=896&brdim=-8%2C-8%2C-8%2C-8%2C1366%2C0%2C1382%2C744%2C1366%2C615&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CleEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=0&bc=31&ifi=6&uci=a!6&btvi=4&fsb=1&xpc=poxO8PiFaq&p=https%3A//thenigerialawyer.com&dtd=87
The Congress, arising from a meeting of its Central Working Committee, said it would direct workers to stay at home if the government failed to resolve the cash crunch at the expiration of the ultimatum.
According to the NLC, workers and citizens have been frustrated to a level that they can no longer keep quiet.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, who addressed reporters on Monday in Abuja, said: “On the issue of cash crunch, the NLC is giving the FG and agencies of government, including the Central Bank of Nigeria and other banking institutions seven working days to address the issue of the cash crunch.
“If they fail to do this at the expiration of the seven days, Congress will direct all workers in the country to stay at home because it has become very difficult to access money to enter vehicles to their workplace. It is difficult to buy products from traders who don’t have Bank accounts. This is the situation we have found ourselves in.
“The Federal Government came up with a policy that even the old currency is still valid. What we have discovered is that even when the banks give you those old currencies the traders are not accepting them. Even when you take it to the same banks they are not accepting it.
“We have been frustrated to a level that we can no longer keep quiet.”
Speaking on the scarcity of petroleum products, Ajaero said: “On the issue of fuel, the Congress wishes to inform the Federal Government that we will no longer keep quiet to this issue of perennial fuel scarcity and arbitrary increases in petroleum.”
Credit: The Nigeria Lawyers