I appeal to all Nigerians of all walks of life to support totally the call by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for a National Strike to compel the Government of the Federation to reverse the economically unjustified and socially repressive increases in fuel pump price at a time when the price of our crude oil on the world market is buoyantly increasing the revenue of the Federal Government at more than 100% above the budgeted price, thereby incredibly swelling the Nation’s foreign Dollar Reserve.

It is heartless if not criminal for any government to increase the pain and pang Nigerians suffer through the consequences of fuel price increases.

Whilst we are groaning under the fuel pump price increases, the government has done nothing about the 100% increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) slammed on Nigerians.

Today, the fuel pump price increases coupled with the Value Added Tax (VAT) increase are having a devastating effect on the already repressed standard of life of an average Nigerian where:

• The National Minimum Wage of N5,500.00 (Five thousand, Five hundred Naira) per month which is N183.33 (One hundred and Eighty-Three Naira, Thirty-Three Kobo) is but a pittance, almost a death wage which cannot sustain anybody in this country and which has failed to meet the constitutional requirement of reasonable National Minimum Living Wage under Section 16(2)(d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

• The poverty of the masses has reached a crushing level of dehumanization.

I wish to appeal to the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to be steadfast and resolute in this strike campaign to compel the Federal Government of Nigeria to stop making life unbearable for the citizens and to comply with Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which provides thus:

CHIEF GANI FAWEHINMI LLD, SAN
Monday, June 18, 2007