Federal workers across the country have urged the President Tinubu-led federal government to speedily increase their salaries and repair the refineries in the country to mitigate the high cost of living caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
In a survey conducted among federal workers in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, respondents were unanimous that the rollout of palliatives was not sustainable.
Politics Nigeria understands that following the removal of fuel subsidy at the advent of the present government on May 29, the price of fuel increased from N185 per litre to between N580 and N615.
The effect was a sharp rise in the cost of transportation, prices of goods and services and hyperinflation in the country.
Consequently, the federal government recently announced the release of N5 billion to each state as palliative, among other measures, to mitigate the effect.
The workers, who lamented the hardship being suffered since the removal of subsidy, commended the federal government for the rollout of palliatives and proposed salary increase.
They, however, stressed that the measures were unsustainable if the country continued to import fuel.
Leke Adegbite, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ondo State, said the palliatives could not go far in addressing the hard times occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.
He appealed to President Tinubu to ensure that the nation’s refineries become functional.
“Something needs to be done urgently because the palliatives cannot go far or address anything. The political class will corner about 80 per cent of the materials meant for the masses.
“The president may have good intentions, but what about the governors who are reviewing the materials?
“And it is even obvious that nothing has been dedicated for federal workers from all these palliatives,” he said.
Although Mr Adegbite agreed that the issue of fixing the refineries would not be an easy task, he maintained that it was necessary because Nigerians buy fuel every day.
“Our refineries should be revamped so that Nigerians, especially federal workers, can heave a sigh of relief. Only operational refineries can settle this economic woes,” he said
Also, Bola Adeyemi, a staff of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), said the situation was no longer bearable especially for men who are mostly breadwinners of their families.
Also, Victor Amoko, Chairman, Nigeria Labor Congress, Ondo State, said reduction in the number of working days to cushion effects of fuel subsidy removal on workers would have a negative impact on the nation’s economy.
The union leader called on government to consider making provision of shuttle buses for the workers’ use, upgrade their salaries or allowances or provide other incentives that could reduce the effect on them.
Similarly, Clement Fatuase, Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Ondo State, likened cutting down the number of work days within a week to cutting down the productive hours as a result of economic meltdown.
In Ekiti, Tope Balogun, another federal civil servant, said the cost of buying food items had become too expensive for him.
Mr Balogun also said the high transportation costs was affecting his duties because he now reports for duty three times a week.
He appealed to President Tinubu to regulate the price of petrol and cost of food, so as to enable civil servants to live comfortably with their families.
An economist, Bose Oluwalana, said the only solution to end the sufferings of Nigerians, especially civil servants, was for the government to urgently review the minimum wage upward.
Also in Osun, Leye Adebayo, a federal civil servant, said since the removal of subsidy, he had been finding it hard to take care of his family due to the increase in the prices of food and transportation.
Adebayo, who noted that hyperinflation in the country due to removal of fuel subsidy had rendered his meagre salary useless, said the cost of living was no longer within the reach of the impoverished civil servants.
Similarly, Bose Opayinka, a federal civil servant in one of the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Health, decried the hardship that federal workers were now facing due to the removal of fuel subsidy.
Mrs Opayinka, who noted that she could no longer cope with the increase in the prices of food items and transportation, appealed to the government to come to the aid of the workers.
Another federal worker, David Tinuola, said with the rising cost of food and transport, without an increase in salary, government should not expect the best from workers.
Tinuola, who explained that workers and the masses in general are facing the worst time ever, said he had to park his car at home due to increase in fuel price.
Meanwhile, an economist, Samuel Atiku, said that reducing the number of working days for workers was not the solution to the current economic hardship.
Atiku said the only solution is for the government to implement wage awards for workers pending the negotiation on minimum wage in 2024.
Also, Nwokocha Chijioke, Executive Director, Motivator’s Crib Africa, said there are more practical steps that the government could take to minimise the impact of removal of fuel subsidy on workers than reducing the numbers of working days.
