Senate Okays Fuel Price Hike, As Court Stops NLC’s Planned Strike

The Senate on Tuesday after a closed-door session supported the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

Twenty-four hours earlier, the House Representatives at its special session had asked the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to shelve its planned strike schedule ‎to start on Wednesday.

The Senate, however, urged the Federal Government to start the implementation of the palliative measures contained ‎in the 2016 Budget to ease the hardship of the subsidy removal on Nigerians.

Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court has told the NLC to suspend its planned strike pending the determination of a suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Malami had gone to court to challenge the strike being planned by the NLC and TUC to protest the increase in the pump price of petrol.

The Federal Government had last week announced the increase in the cost of petrol from N86 to N145.