After over one hour closed door session, Senate, on Tuesday, decided to back Federal government's decision to hike fuel price by removing fuel subsidy. The House of Representatives on Monday had urged the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress [NLC] to suspend the union’s planned strike to protest. The protest is targeted at the removal of subsidy on petrol by the Federal Government. This was, however, after there was confusion in the House for about 20 minutes.

Some Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] lawmakers attempted to stop the appearance of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. However, the Senate implored the Federal government to immediately embark on implementing palliative session that will reduce problem of Nigerians The Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, spoke at the end of the session. He sympathized with Nigerians on the level of hardship in the country. He said they would engage the Federal government to find sustainable ways to improve on the welfare of the citizens. He also said they have resolved to engage the Labour leaders in order to resolve the issue. “The Senate in a closed session deliberated on the increase in the pump price of PMS by the Federal Government and the threats by the organised Labour to embark on a nationwide strike.

“We resolved as follows: that we sympathise with ordinary people of Nigeria on the hardships they are going through. “That the Senate will engage the Federal Government to find sustainable ways of improving the welfare of the people of Nigeria. “That we call on government to continue to engage the organised labour and other stakeholders to resolve issues in order not to ground the system and impose more hardships on our people. “That government should immediately start implementing palliative measures contained in the 2016 Appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly,” he said. -