 Nigeria's labor unions call for an indefinite strike action over cost of leaving and Nigeria is ranked sixth in the world for organized crime and this is Plus Politics. I am Mary Annacol. The Nigerian Labor Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria have resolved to ground activities nationwide from October 3, 2023 following what the labor unions tagged as a failure of government to successfully implement policies to elevate the sufferings of Nigerians following a removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit. The NLC and the TUC are asking for wage awards implementation of palliatives, tax exemptions, allowances to public sector workers and a review of the minimum wage. The NLC had previously issued a 21-day ultimatum which ended last week with complaints that none of the demands put before the federal government had been addressed and so the unions have called for a strike which will begin on October 3 and joining us to discuss this is Dikbar Lyoko. He is the National Secretary of the New Nigeria People's Party. Also joining us is Francis Chillaka. He is a political analyst and a social commentator. Thank you so much gentlemen for joining us and good evening. Great. I'm going to start with you Mr Lyoko. You have been a journalist for a long time and you've obviously worked as someone in the public sector before you decided to go private. Many people have said that labor going on this strike may not necessarily force the hand of government. In fact there are people who even are querying whether labor will go on with this strike because they have severally said they were going to go on a strike and then they changed their mind. So should Nigerians really be holding their breath for this strike? All right let me direct the question to you Francis while we try to get Mr Dikbar Lyoko back. Well well well yes it's just as long as I do but I'll tell you that it's a necessity in the sense that this government has not carried the labor along in everything it's doing and if you noticed if you have observed labor has been coming out to tell Nigerians the outcome of the process of the meetings they've been holding and you know the steps they are taking to be able to get government to do something because you know nothing seems to be working, nothing seems to be going in the right direction that it should go. So I think that yes I am in support of labor going on strike because I think in you know that's the only language that government across the world understands you know to be able to listen to the people and also take steps to add value to the lives of the people. The issue here is a trust deficit also we see that Nigerians have not necessarily trusted labor over the years many have blamed labor for being selfish labor leaders generally many have said they've become very political and not necessarily fighting for the people what are your thoughts? Well what has played out over time where you see when when labor leaders begin to get involved in politics it's expected that interest will be involved and it's expected that in the in the cost of that interest they end up betraying the people they should also are trying to be protected so over time we've seen labor leaders getting so much involved in politics even contesting for elections and you know each time people expect that labor should come out and be able to tell government you know tell truth to power we found that there has been compromises here and there that is why Nigerians are not really really moved Nigerians are not really really happy but you know I think that we seem to be having a labor that has they're not only parking but they seem to have what it takes to to buy it. Let me come back to you Mr. Layaku the same question that I asked Francis Chilaka for someone who's worked in the public sector now in the private sector and then of course for someone who's experiencing the downturn that economy is facing what effect will this strike action by labor you know what effects will it make in terms of bettering the lots of people because of course labor is fighting for the public sector but what happens to the general public? Mr. Layaku can you hear me? Mr. Layaku can you hear me? I think that you are muted you need to unmute yourself please please unmute yourself so we can hear you. Mr. Layaku can you hear me now? All right let's move away unfortunately we're having issues with Dipo Layaku's audio there Francis now that labor has given October 3rd and we're hearing that we all have to stock our houses with all that we need while this strike action happens because again all the affiliate unions are going to be joining this strike action even though many are also skeptical that they've not necessarily heard from these affiliate unions you know voicing their support for this particular strike but again with the cost of leaving and the crisis that we're facing how are many people going to survive because some people leave daily and many people might not have the bulk money to stock their homes with food I mean the average Nigerian right now is almost leaving from hand to mouth. Well you know there is when we say how will people survive we should actually be asking are people really surviving right now in Nigeria you know sadly the answer is no you and I you know right now we know that diesel is us it's gone up to a thousand plus gas is for insert you know petrol well we know the cost how many people are putting their cars on the world I think I would say this and that is why I blame the government because you you don't you don't say subsidy is gone knowing the fact that the lives of millions of Nigerians depend you know that subsidy now you say subsidy is gone and then you're talking about sharing palliatives as if when the concentration camp you're sharing with bag of rice amongst 12 10 people and all of that and then you know so these are these these are things that are already affecting Nigerians so Nigerians are not happy Nigerians are not they're not satisfied Nigerians are not saying government we want you to give us palliatives no Nigerians are saying create an opening environment for us to survive that is all the Nigerian people are asking for so if labor is going to go on strike to be able to you know not some sense into government then you know everybody should you know accept it and be ready for the outcome of it. Let's talk about the legality of this strike action we know that before the previous there was a strike action that labor was supposed to embark on but the federal government had also taken a court order that had directed that labor stay you know stay action will the will labor not be seen excuse me will labor not be seen as violating a court order by proceeding on this strike action. Well it is it is the fundamental right of labor and fundamental right of Nigerians to go on strike the government is going to cut and trying to stop strike is just you know laying carton miles with labor and in the real sense of it you know if you look at it how many court judgments has you know the former government and this government obeyed so it is not just for the people and for labor to obey a court order the government also must show good will in obeying court orders so as far as I'm concerned if there's going to be a court order and then it means that the judges to who's going to judge who's going to give the court or who's going to give that judgment is benefiting from you know what is going on in this country right now because I believe that any right thinking in Nigeria is going through a lot would support an action that will make government to think as if there's no box. Mr. Laik I think that we've gotten your audio back now we know that daily in the past few days if not months Nigerians have been subjected to the Hashikan realities where the inflation rate is nearing about 30 percent where a dollar sold above 1000 Naira where the per capita income has depreciated I mean the list is endless many families I hear are withdrawing the awards from schools because they're unable to pay their school fees and this government keeps giving us promises many have also said that oh well the the president is just he's just been a hundred and something days in office he cannot perform magic show your take with me on how bad things are and what how soon we can get out of this can you hear me now yes I can okay yes how are you good good good evening hello yes I can hear you go ahead sir okay to say that Nigeria's are passes through a very tough time is an understatement things are very very tough for Nigerians or the palliative measure that the government said they have introduced since about two months ago I don't think we are the way the suffering of people for example look at people going to the office is transportation I mean the part of transportation it has gone up for more than by about 200 percent people don't have their own cars so for the vehicle now people have to do a lot of questions so things are already tough on Nigerians that's why a lot of people still believe that so-called removal of subsidy as at that time was very very premature because now the government is in a dilemma are we going to continue paying subsidy because they said they are going to subject the price of well to factors what do you call it economic factors now for example you mentioned the case of dollars it's about one thousand Nigerians as at the time petrol was put at six thousand seventeen thousand nara per liter maybe dollar was about 750 so it's like the government got it wrong right from the very beginning I I sympathize with labour because except we want to deceive ourselves every strike action by labour is always accompanied by more hardship for the people this location business will be less located a lot of hardship but this is like a label is now from between the devil and the pussy do we go on this track or shouldn't we yes they have called this try for a comeback on I know that things will be more difficult for Nigeria but I think on the back of the government government should do more maybe there's enough for them to review this what they call the withdrawal of subsidy I think there's some of us believe that government needs to put attention in place if not this price of where we continue to go off as long as the value of nara continues to depreciate so the problem now is that the government have the money to continue paying subsidy I think what the government should do in the first chance to establish whether there's that amount that should be paid for subsidy some of us believe that there's a lot of corruption that have been embedded into this so-called subsidy first of all we need to determine the number of barriers that we are using in a day as a country not talking about the one we are supporting illegally then we need to if possible cut some of the costs that allow the cost of landing costs and stuff like that so that let us get the normal price off if well before we know what we are paying a subsidy because I am one of those who would have believed that this subsidy payment is brought with a lot of corruption so there's enough for us to establish number number of barriers we are using there's no need for us to look at costs from when the crude oil is being shipped out of the country until it now come back in form of a fine product there's no need for us to get the normal cost because this if we are able to get the normal cost we will discover that the cost of petroleum product as well if well will not be as high as we are having it today and then we'll be able to reduce the subsidy we think we are having that is the most important thing because the government can not be paying seven trillion naira for to make this subsidy it is not allowed it is not feasible but that is the correct subsidy we are paying that we should be paying then we cannot be talking about whether to withdraw it or not and that is the important thing but for strike action and the hardship is going to bring on the people that one is not a secret it is definitely going to play a big but are the people not subjected to hardship already there's still a lot of people working long distance because they don't have transport or they can't afford the cost of transportation a lot of people that have cars now have visitors at home because they can't afford the cost of fuel so the hardship is already there we are looking at do we continue with this hardship or we compound it or we look at the way that's why it is the full duty of the government in this wise to work on this in this project not labor not strike on anything the government should try to put itself in the shoes of nitrous and that's not it is not this idea of sending we will rise that some of them are spoiled because some of the states they should not derive their spoils of giving them one thousand two thousand this will not alleviate suffering this one can not even be paid attention government needs to put themselves in the shoes of that period that is important thank you okay let's talk about since we're on the subsidy issue Nigerians were made to believe that with the dangota refinery refinery coming on stream it would ameliorate the sufferings in terms of how much we pay for premium motor spirits also we've heard that the NNPC has been sending our crude out of the country as payment for loans taken and and dangota refinery is having to import crude from outside of the country and by next week they're going to take they're going to receive the very first tranche of that crude that they're importing into the country does this not make a mess of this whole subsidy situation again like I asked earlier on is there really an end in sight for Nigerians and we're going to have to wait another eight years to address this issue of subsidy or even because again Nigeria depends on this oil for its foreign foreign exchange and if the naira to a dollar is a thousand naira asset today where is the hope mr laia yes it was for you sir yes it is still very very unfortunate that uh all about 50 years after Nigeria as a country at the mountain either for that first that's the first time in the economy I let us give credit to the last administration that tried to diversify the economy using agriculture but unfortunately the activities of bandits kidnappers and stuff are not helping matters especially when farmers can could no more go to farm freely and because of the fear of kidnappers or bandits so that is one aspect that we need to talk about that is the idea of the idea of security now there should be other means of what we call diversify the economy so that we don't rely only on wealth that is why we're having issue with the issue of foreign exchange and that is where the going to the advanced form people are now calling off how do we tap into AI that's artificial intelligence which could love cash behavior to um get out there for a means of a category in a state and again let us use you at the let us take the example of the customs in case some people believe and I think I have everything to believe that too that if we're able to look in the area of tax collection that is blocking the loopholes that it is possible for Nigeria to generate even more from sorry from a good way that is another area that is intentional trade I thought there is a need for us to look into the issue of collection which I think is first opportunity we are talking about let us focus on foreign trade let us look at what customs is generating we can generate the customs in other area through which we can generate foreign exchange we also have a mass a day we have MPE day so the problem is how do we tackle corruption to make sure that what is expected to go to the government actually gets there instead of getting implanted in the pockets of individuals that will actually change in the system so it is without uh belibbering the point I think what is very very important is let us try to stop the issue of corruption because as long as we continue to depend solely on good for our foreign exchange the dollar or the value of the Naira will continue to depreciate against Naira especially when our utility over there let's say our energy system has not been revamped so that it will match we will have enough for productivity that's in that area because unfortunately for us most of the things we are consuming consuming are foreign goods that means our productivity is very low and where we have productivity you have the quality that is very very low unfortunately you have the cost even in some cases being higher than what comes in from outside so except we have a government that is very very serious to look into the eye of some people and say you know this thing can not continue what we call business on usual so these are the areas the government needs to take a look into how do we elevate our our our our tax collection because there are a lot of so many loopholes okay where we should have be accruing to the government ended up being accruing to the pockets of individuals to look at tax to look at the foreign trade which is very very key actually we were talking about foreign exchange and like i said earlier we look about the area of artificial intelligence how do we tap into the resources into the resources of services services and etc we will not depend solely on kudo and when the price drops like here and so far when the price goes up like here and so far because we are not the one determining the fate of the country that is one of the things that we need to look into critically okay because and again i want to just like an advice to the level movement the government may should think beyond just coming together as a level movement to agitate for better salary or let me say better working on your living standard they should also be looking at productivity what are they bringing to the table okay if the government is feeling in this area why can't they say okay why don't you do it this way how foreign alternatives they shouldn't just see themselves bring militants every time that's all right i mean let it as a president of an nlc i'm not saying that maybe let me thank them but they shouldn't see the question of president of nlc or president of what you see as we go bring there to organize strike okay this total messed up we should try to minimize this idea of strike and stuff like that all right i don't even try to so probably why don't you do it this way okay let me go back to fancies let me go back to fancies um fancies still talking about mr president and fighting corruption this is a question that continuously is raised if with the body language of mr president and again many people were waiting honestly to see the people who would make mr president's list of members of the national executive council some would say that defeat that there are a few impressive appointments on that list but with the number of people and the caliber of people who make up mr president's cabinet what is the guarantee that mr president can plug loopholes and fight corruption earnestly well um you know when we talk about corruption in this country um it's something that sometimes i ask myself maybe we should stop using um the bible or using the Quran for people to swear when they want to become minister or whatever maybe we should start using our deities for people to swear with it i think that's as well we should start from the bible and the Quran has not helped us because the same people who swear with the bible and the Quran are the same people who have continued to embezzle and continue to sleep with corruption um you you you talked about nmpc and um you also talked about dangling refinery i don't understand is it not uh is it not sad is it not shameful but you know we're talking about uh a private sector refinery when we have four refineries all by all by the Nigerian people that they have failed to face and then nmpc as we know has become uh a private company so i do not understand why it is still in charge of the crude it's still the one that decides and it's still the one taking out goods to sell this is part of the corruption we're talking about you do not allow a private entity to become so powerful as it's and begins to run parallel as a as a public entity we need to know if nmpc is owned by individuals who are this individuals what is the state of the Nigerian state in in the current nmpc so this corruption we're talking about starts from there we also heard mr president when he was talking about um subsidy is gone he talked about the fact that some people have been benefiting from the subsidy who are these people are they so sacred are they so powerful are they highly placed and nobody can call them out we need to know who and who is benefited from this subsidy who and who has benefited in the past from this subsidy and they brought to book maybe that is where the government will suffice to corruption but if you're doing all this and you're not looking at the call problem the call issues has led to this state then you cannot find a solution you do not kill cancer by cutting it off you kill cancer by going to the woods to remove pain and this is what this government is not doing okay finally gentleman if i let you both go um with what we have on the ground because we there seems to be a lot that um as attributed to mr president's travels and his recent visit to india the un general assembly trade relations being boosted etc etc how soon do we see nigeria coming out of this rot many would attribute the situation that we're facing economically to the previous administration and all of the terrible policies that have been made but then the national union of local government employees norgay recently have blamed president tinuble and his policies um for hurting the avid nigerian and what are your thoughts on this in closing i'll start with you with you mr laiko and then of course francis will wrap it up in one minute so i'm saying that many people have blamed former president bahari for the situation of things how bad the economy is and that he was inherited by president tinuble although the norge is is blaming president tinuble um for the hash you know political rather economic policies that he has which is causing nigeria this problem and i'm saying do you see an end in sight well that they inherited the bad economic because he told us you know his speeches that you know in one of his statements that that he asked for the job not that we went to his house to go and beg him so i don't think that he inherited the bad economic should not be understood because interestingly and fortunately for him uh he inherited he inherited the government from the same apc and i think uh the government should have been pursuing the manifestos of the party so i think what he does means is that the people should realize that being the president of nigeria is not just a party it is a call to service it is a call to see those business and you know the elections were held on the 25th of february by 28th through march first these laws have been announced the winner has been declared so i think the president has enough time enough room to study this institution and then come up with a solution to some of the problems that are that he inherited from supposedly so i think it does a matter of uh gardening his minds that they always say and then getting the best hands to work with him because uh nadirans will not want to listen to us okay unfortunately if i may give you my my own opinion i think he seems to have paid from the very beginning because uh if nadirans were buying fuel around the may at 195 and they were growing mr like i think we lost that connection with you francis 17 uh nadirans are definitely going through a lot so what the president needs to do is to redouble his efforts if he needs to understand if he has been working 21 hours in the day he needs to start working but it's quite what's needed okay i think i can do it for him because nadirans do want to listen to us you measure the success of this program we have to go mr liago i gave you just one minute to to give me your quick analysis so i'm going to let francis just wrap up because we have to go now francis let's say you know when when when a child feels some exam you have an opportunity to redo their exam uh the president has from day one has failed he needs to go back to the drawing board he needs to understand that like he said unfortunately he has kept saying that he's going to continue from where the last administration stopped and you know i find it whether i'm very very uh unbelievable that neither mr president or his deputy has come up openly to say that you know the last administration did wrong they need to we need to admit those wrongs in order to move forward so mr president needs to go back to the drawing board a lot has gone wrong a lot of his policies are not working and he needs to understand that nigeria is not legal state okay all right uh digwao laio koo is the spokesperson for the new nigeria people's party and francis chilaca is a political analyst and a social commentator thank you so much gentlemen for being part of the conversation we appreciate it thank you all right all right well we'll take a quick break when we return let's talk about the fact that nigeria is on the sixth position uh in the world index for organized crime stay with us