NLC has no interest of Nigeria at heart – Jang

[DT]

Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang has reprimanded the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for threatening to embark on strike on Monday over the removal of fuel subsidy, saying the NLC "has no interest of this nation at heart."  

Jang, who spoke to journalists shortly after meeting President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House, Abuja, said governors were in support of the deregulation of petroleum downstream sector.  

He said, "If being unpopular will be for the best interest of Nigeria, he (president) has decided to take it and honestly, we back him up. Honestly, the NLC has no interest of this nation at heart.

"I am 100 percent in support of the removal of fuel subsidy because we have allowed things to just happen anyway for too long."

He said Nigerians like what he called "awuf (free gift) and this 'awuf thing has to stop. There is no country where everything is just free."

Jang said even with the removal of subsidy, petrol is still not up to $1 a litre. "Go to the US, it is $1 plus. Go to the UK, it is £1 plus. Even Ghana with the removal of fuel subsidy, their petrol is still more expensive than Nigeria."

He said subsidy removal was for the good of the common man, noting that before now moneys on subsidy were being cornered by a small cabal in the country.

"More money can now go to state; more money can now go for development," he said.

On the insecurity in his states, Jang said apart from the few security cases, the state has been relatively peaceful. He, however, noted that any further attack on the state could be from outside the state.

DailyTrust

[emezico]

The problem is that Nigerians have lost faith in the government. Whether or not the removal is for the benefit of Nigerians, it would hard to take it, due to failed promises of past administrations.