The Nigerian government's decision to remove fuel subsidy has resulted in the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) calling for a nationwide strike. According to a notice issued by the acting general secretary, Dominic Igwebike, the NUEE has instructed its members to halt their services across the country starting from the early hours of Wednesday.
President Bola Tinubu, in his inaugural address, announced the end of the petroleum subsidy regime, stating that it was no longer sustainable. In response, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has directed its outlets to sell fuel at significantly increased prices ranging from N480 to N570 per litre, which is almost a 200 percent surge from the previous price below N200.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had earlier declared its intention to organize a nationwide protest the following Wednesday if the NNPCL refused to revert to the previous price regime. The Nigerian Union of Journalists has also threatened to join the strike action.
In a letter addressed to its members, the NUEE explained that its decision to strike was influenced by the NLC emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting held on June 2. The meeting aimed to address the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, which has caused significant hardships for Nigerians and contributed to increased inflation in the economy.
The statement from the NUEE directed all national, state, and chapter executives to mobilize their members in full compliance with the directive. The withdrawal of services nationwide is set to commence from 00.00 hours on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
"To this effect, all National, State and Chapter executives are requested to start the mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive," the statement emphasized. "Please note that withdrawal of services nationwide commences from 0.00 hours of Wednesday, June 7, 2023," the statement further stated.
