…Issues 11-day ultimatum, gives government till Sept 28 to reverse hikes …Says cost of electricity more than minimum wage in some places …NLC’s CWC resolved to issue ultimatum — WABBA …Lagos police arrest, release 50 protesters, including Vanguard’s photo-journalist …TUC ultimatum misplaced — Ngige The stage appears set for a showdown over the recent hikes in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff, as the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday gave the Federal Government an 11-day deadline to reverse its decision or face a nationwide indefinite strike and mass protest from September 28. This came on a day protesters, under the aegis of Joint Action Front, JAF, for the second time in one week stormed the streets of Lagos to protest the hikes, a development that led to the arrest of about 50 persons, including a Vanguard photo-journalist. This is even as the Minister of Labour and Employment yesterday described the 7-day ultimatum given by the Trade Union Congress, TUC, to reverse the petrol price and electricity tariff increase as misplaced. However, at its National Administrative Council, NAC, and Central Working Committee, CWC, meetings yesterday, NLC leaders argued that Nigerians can no longer cope with sufferings occasioned by the recent hikes, among other unfriendly government policies. In a communiqué read by NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, Congress contended that the hikes had rendered the new minimum wage of N30, 000 worthless as a result of rising inflation. NLC’s CWC resolved to issue ultimatum Wabba said: “The National Administrative Council as well as the Central Working Committee of the NLC have just ended their meeting. The meeting was convened to look at the twin issue of the hike in electricity tariff and also the fuel price increase. “The CWC has noted that these twin increases, despite being ill-timed because of COVID-19, is also bad because of the socio-economic situation of the country. “The CWC also identified the fact that the policy has reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians as well as Nigerian workers. Also, it has brought about high cost of goods and services, and importantly, has eroded completely the gains of the N30,000 minimum wage. “The CWC also looked at the report of the meeting that took place between the Federal Government and Organized Labour where NLC was represented by 14 of its leaders and, therefore, resolved as follows: “The CWC resolved to issue a 2-week (11 days from Wednesday) ultimatum to the Federal Government to reverse or face industrial action and peaceful assembly “In furtherance to this, CWC resolved also to convene a meeting of National Executive Council in line with our constitution on September 22, 2020, to give effect to this decision because the proposal for the action is to commence on Monday, September 28, 2020, if those issues are not addressed. “NLC Central Working Committee also will mobilise its members, our civil society allies and other social partners to try to resist this policy because it has driven many into poverty.” Cost of electricity more than minimum wage in some places Lamenting the sorry state of affairs in the country, Wabba added that there were instances where the cost of electricity had been established to be more than the minimum wage. “This afternoon (yesterday), CWC members were sharing their experiences arising from the exploitative nature of these policies, where it is very evident that in some cases, even the N30,000 minimum wage cannot even pay for electricity bill. “In fact, the experience we have here is that somebody loaded credit of N30,000 but it didn’t take him up to two weeks. This has been the experience all over the country. So, it is a decision that is biting at every worker, every family and I think it is a decision that certainly requires reversal,” he added. Police disrupt protests in Lagos Also yesterday, the operatives of Lagos State Police Command disrupted the protest against the increase in the price of fuel and electricity tariff, arresting no fewer than 50 of the protesters, including a Vanguard photo-journalist, Kehinde Shonola They were arrested at Ishaga Road, Surulere, during a peaceful protest organized by the Joint Action Front, JAF. Vanguard gathered that as the police intercepted the protest which started from Labour House, Tejuosho, Yaba, Lagos, they demanded to see the leader of the protesters. The Secretary of JAF, Abiodun Aremu, who led the protest, presented himself and was asked by the policemen to follow them to Area C Police Headquarters. The protesters insisted that they all should be arrested. According to source, the police brought in three vans that couldn’t accommodate those who offered themselves for arrest, about 50 in number. On getting to area C, an eyewitness told Vanguard that because of the commotion generated by their presence at the police station, they were immediately released. It was learned that the protesters who had their banners, posters, leaflets and handbills seized, insisted they would not leave the station without those items. A witness told Vanguard that after much arguments and counter-arguments, the protesters were released with their seized protest materials. Recall that last Thursday, the Police arrested 14 protesters and four journalists during a similar protest at the same Ojuelegba Speaking with Vanguard, Aremu said aside from those arrested, 50 other protesters voluntarily surrendered themselves to the Police in solidarity. He said: “About 50 protesters surrendered themselves to be arrested when the Police wanted to single out Comrade Abiodun Aremu for arrest,” According to him, those arrested were JAF Deputy Chairperson, Achike Chude, and immediate past President, Malachy Ugwumadu, of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR. Others were committee members, including Shina Odugbemi, Hassan Soweto and Daga Tolar among others. Aremu requested the federal government to take urgent steps towards ameliorating the sufferings of Nigerians, especially the downtrodden. He said Nigerians should prepare for a long drawn struggle to resist and defeat the anti-poor increase in fuel prices, electricity tariff, Value Added Tax, VAT, and all other inimical policies making life unbearable for Nigerians.