This is even as National Leader of the All Progressive Congress(APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu begged the organised labour and its civil society allies involved in the ongoing protests to return to the negotiation table with the federal government. The federal government had last week, announced the removal of subsidy on petroleum product with a new pricing template pegging a litre of Premium Motor Spirit(PMS), otherwise known as petrol at N145. In rejecting the new pump price and demanding for a reversal, organised labour had issued a four-day ultimatum to the government. Since the ultimatum elapsed mid-night of Tuesday, workers across the country have continued to troop to the street to show their discontent at the new price even as negotiation with the representatives of the government broke down. However, APC National Leader, Sen. Ahmed Tinubu, who led a high power delegation to the Paschal Bafyau Labour House in Abuja, pleaded with the NLC to shelve the ongoing protests and return to the negotiation table. Tinubu came in company of the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, former NLC President, Abdulwahed Omar and some other serving Senators. He personally enlisted to broker peace between the warring workers and the federal government in the interest of the survival and economic sustainability of the country. The former Lagos State governor, noted that government has good intention in removing the subsidy, stressing that the only snag was the seeming communication breakdown between both parties. He said “I cannot say I was not a part of whatever is happening today on your part and I can never say I am not a part of the decision that created this. I can only say I noticed a communication gap. I can’t say that you are enemies of progress or the President of this country. Lets get back a little bit. We are aware of seeming division, but conflict and convict resolution mechanism is there in any politics. If there is no conflict, there is no politics. “Today we came to appeal to you. For me ideologically, progressive governance is what we are all about. And progressive governance means inclusiveness, the welfare of the people and the progress of the nation. We want to make it clear that you are not the enemy and you will never be enemy of government that is progressive. How many years we have had oil and what have we got from it. “Let’s look at budget after budget since 1980s, what have they translated to for our people. The decision taking by the government in relation to the petroleum pricing is inevitable and it is in the good interest of the country. I implore you to suspend your strike and return to the negotiation table with the federal government. According to him, rather than benefitting the people the subsidy regime has benefitted only a few who have constituted themselves to untouchable cabal. Tinubu stressed the sincerity of the present administration to evolve policies geared toward eradication of poverty, promotion of good governance and employment generation. Responding, the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said that there was no time the union was averse to discussion. The NLC boss explained that the decision to suspend the strike and return to discussion could only be taking by the appropriate organ of the union. He accused the government of engaging in divide and rule system in the negotiation process. Wabba said, “This action we have embarked upon is not about personal issue, it is about engaging policies. Overtime, NLC has led the vanguard of good governance we have collaborated with a number of civil society groups even in a matter involving entrenchment of democracy. “We have taken note of the plea including this high delegation and we assure you that this will be discussed and communicated to the appropriate organ of the NLC. We are a very democratic mass organisation. We will convey the same the plea to the people. On while negotiation with the government reached deadlock, he explained,” We have never shied away from sitting with the federal government engaging in negotiation. What actually happened was that, when we reached a deadlock, government said we should excuse them and they started employing divide and rule system.”]]>