However, the NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar told State House correspondents that the Federal Government and NLC were prepared to shift grounds.
President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, seven state governors, ministers, leaders of the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and members of the Federal Government negotiation team, attended the meeting at the State House Abuja.
The labour leaders were led by the NLC chairman, Comrade Omar and were ushered into First Lady Wing venue of the meeting at about 6.35 p.m., following a meeting which had taken place between President Jonathan, the leadership of the National Assembly, the state governors and the Justice Alfa Belgore-led Federal Government negotiation team.
Governors at the meeting included Peter Obi (Anambra), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers); Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo).
Also present on the Federal Government side were the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Senate Leader, Victor Edoma-Egba, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and several other ministers.
Apart from Omar, there was also the President of TUC, Peter Esele, the acting General Secretary of NLC, Owei Lakemfa and 14 others on the side of labour.
However, moments after the labour leaders were led into the room where they were to hold discussion, President Jonathan and Vice President Sambo left the venue to allow the negation team to continue the talks with labour but were expected to join the talks later.
Sambo returned for the meeting at about 8.15pm just before the participant went for break.
Meanwhile, a leading member of the administration and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has hinted at eventual resolution of the logjam in the next 48 hours, admitting that the situation cannot continue for long.
Speaking on Channels TV news on Thursday morning, Sanusi said that the deaths, arson, mayhem and injuries must come to an end, noting that both sides to the dispute should shift ground.
The CBN governor, who said he was speaking as a Nigerian and not as the CBN governor, suggested that a staged, phased withdrawal of subsidy might be an option, even as he noted that complete reversal to N65 might not be an option.
While noting that his suggestions are without prejudice to the ongoing negotiations with labour, Sanusi noted that with the phased withdrawal in progress, the government would then speed up revitalisation of existing refineries and the building and operations of new ones by private operators.
The government, he said, should be ready to give maximum incentives such as tax break, import duty waivers and others to private individuals willing to invest in the refineries, adding that this could be done once a political decision was taken.
Sanusi, who also admitted that a lot of fraudulent activities dominated the operation of the subsidy scheme, added that there might also be need for investigations and eventual prosecution of those found culpable in the management of the subsidy fund.
“We must stop this situation where our people are dying unneccesarily. We cannot continue like this. We must find a resolution in the next 48 hours,” Sanusi said.
Meanwhile, as protests continued to trail the fuel subsidy removal, the House of Representatives on Thursday talked tough as it called on President Goodluck Jonathan to have a rethink on the matter and realign himself with the yearnings of the people in the overall interest of the country.
This is coming just as the House denied any plot to impeach President Jonathan over his hard stand on the fuel subsidy removal palava, following a rumour that some members of the House had started collecting signatures in preparation for his impeachment anytime next week.
Speaking with newsmen at the National Assembly, the deputy spokesperson of the House, Honourable Victor Ogene, said that the call became necessary in order to make it known to President Jonathan that, “the government cannot dissolve the people. It is only the people that can dissolve the government at anytime they so wish.”
Honourable Ogene, who spoke along with Honourable Opeyemi Bamidele, a member for the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said, “the crisis created by the removal of fuel subsidy is already taking its toll on the people, we are losing money on [a] daily basis. People are suffering; the unity of the country is being threatened. There is need for urgent adjustment to meet the yearnings of the people. As the elected representatives of the people, we have done our own part, it is left for the executive to act in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people.”
He pointed out that the House would not sit by and allow the nation’s growing democracy to be truncated due to hardline posture of the executive over the vexatious issue.
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