Towards labour strike: Reps in rowdy session over fuel price hike

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director,
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Ibe Kachukwu, was
yesterday, quizzed by the House of Representatives over the recent
increase in the price of fuel from N86.50 to N145.

The House, which initially had a rowdy session over the decision to
admit Kachukwu into the Chamber, also urged the Nigeria Labour
Congress, NLC, to shelve its planned strike,Kachikwu even as it set up
an ad-hoc committee to interface with labour and other stakeholders to
resolve the crisis.

The emergency session of the House was basically to deliberate and
take position on the price hike. But it unexpectedly took another
twist as the session became rowdy for over 30 minutes. When the
special session was about to start, Majority Leader, Femi
Gbajabiamila, had moved to admit the minister into the Chamber, but
his motion did not enjoy popular voice vote.

However, it was ruled in his favour by Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, a
development that irked the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
lawmakers, who insisted that Kachukwu should not be ushered into the
Chamber.

While the protest lasted, the opposition lawmakers, who wielded the
national flag, waved them repeatedly, chanting, 'all we are saying,
save Nigeria now' and echoing 'APC shame', while their APC
counterparts watched and responded with 'APC Change.' In the midst of
this, the Speaker conferred with Principal Officers, who had
approached him, and emerged to cede the floor to Minority Leader, Leo
Ogor, who immediately requested the House to dissolve into executive
session, which was granted.