BBC Pidgin of Friday, 21 July 2023
Source: BBC
Wen Nigeria President Ahmed Bola Tinubu announce say "fuel subsidy don go", e get immediate effect with a sharp increase in di price of petrol for filling stations across di kontri.
Dis come result to increase in transportation and also increase in di price of foodstuff.
To help di situation, President Tinubu bin set up committee to pay N8000 to 12 million poor households for six months, as a way to cushion di effects of di fuel subsidy removal but afta di amount criticism, e do U-turn to say dem dey review am.
Meawhile, Labour Unions for Nigeria dey para over di hike in price of fuel across di kontri and threaten to withdraw from negotiations with di goment.
Di Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC dey accuse di goment say “dem dey take from di poor to pay di rich, and so dey bring suffering, hardship and sorrow on Nigerians”.
Tins don take anoda new turn again since Tuesday, wen petrol prices go up again to about 640 naira ($0.82) per litre across di kontri from di previous N488 - N511 per litre e dey sell before for some states.
To helep reduce di suffering of citizens sake of dis decisions, some state goments don release some policies and programmes to help dia pipo cope with di situation.
Increase in salary of workers
Edo State: Following di fuel subsidy removal announcement by di federal goment, di state goment increase minimum wage for workers from di approved N30,000 to N40,000 and reduce di number of work days wey civil and public servants dey go dia work-places from five days a week to three days a week till further notice. Workers go dey work from home two days evri week.
Imo State: Goment approve N10,000 as addition to di current salary of workers for di state, as part of efforts to cushion di effects of di subsidy removal by the federal goment.
Statement by di Chief Press Secretary to di govnor, Oguwike Nwachukwu, say Govnor Hope Uzodinma give di approval in addition to di transport workers dey enjoy, and e go increase di fleet of buses wey dey carry workers to and from work with ten more new buses to ensure evri area of di state capital dey captured for di routes di buses dey ply, to bring di service to di closest doorsteps of evri worker.
E announce “an immediate upward review of salaries and wages of workers for di state. Di minimum wage hereby dey raised to forty thousand naira (N40,000) with discretionary consequential adjustments.
At least, your salaries no go only to take you home, but go also provide your basic necessities to enable you to make ends meet.” E tok.
Ebonyi State: Goment here also increase workers salaries by N10,000.
Govnor Nwifuru Francis Ogbonna also approve employment of 1,454 pesins into civil service to cushion di effects of sudden subsidy removal.
"I feel concern say Ebonyi civil servants dey receive just N30,000 wey translate to N1000 a day for a man with dependants. Apart from feeding di family, e go pay for rent, school fees and medical bills from dia.
Before I become govnor, I get companies and di least anybodi wey dey work for me dey get na N50,000 and dat na even di gateman.
If you pay your worker very well, you go get di boldness to quarrel am if e no live up to expectations." E tok.
Free Mass transit buses to reduce transport costs
Rivers State goment flag off a free transport intervention scheme to help di economic challenges residents of di state dey face as a result of di removal of fuel subsidy.
Deputy, Govnor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu wey represent Govnor Siminialayi Fubara for di Flagg-off say di 17 luxury buses wey dey designated to ply various routes go carry pipo free of charge. Dis free transportation don dey work for Port Harcourt di state capital.
Bayelsa State goment also unveil 106 Vehicles to alleviate di suffering of commuters for di state sake of federal goment removal of fuel subsidy.
Govnor Douye Diri say di 100 taxi and six luxury buses na di administration palliative to boost di transportation sector and na di Bayelsa State Transport Company go manage am.
Ondo State goment don set up a nine-man committee on palliatives wey go work out strategies to cushion di effects of fuel subsidy removal for di state and na di Chief of Staff to di govnor, Chief Olugbenga Ale go head di Committee.
Oyo State say tok between dem and di State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council (PSJNC) over palliatives to cushion di effect of removal of fuel subsidy on workers for di state no dey concluded yet.
On 5 June 2023, Govnor Seyi Makinde bin mandate a committee with representatives on goment side and organised labour to look into di current minimum wage and make dia proposal to di state govnor in eight weeks.
However, tori be say since di inaugural meeting of di committee on June 5, dem never still hold any follow-up meeting.
For di inaugural meeting, di goment bin ask di Labour side to come up with a payment scale for workers.
However, Govnor Makinde on 9 June, say to reduce di harsh effects of di petrol subsidy removal, im announce more mass transit (Omituntun) buses to dey deployed into di city.
E say no increase go dey on transport fares for users of di mass transit buses and add say children and elderly pipo go pay half of di fares wey odas wey dey use di buses dey pay.
Kwara State goment don reverse di former directive wey bin reduce working days from five days to three days for civil servants in di state sake of hardship wey fuel subsidy removal bring.
On 5 June, 2023, di state Head of Service, Modupe Oluwole, say di state goment take di decision to reduce work days for civil servants in di state as a temporary measure to ease dia burden following di hike in transport fare.
However, for one letter to Heads of Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) in di state on 26 June, di Head of Service say di state goment reverse di directive to allow federal goment and organized labour work out ways for more efficient interventions to cushion di effect of subsidy removal and dem go soon unveil di intervention.
Meanwhile, oda states dey expect palliative packages from dia goments even as Labour Unions dey also meet over di mata.