Abeokuta, Ogun State — The ancient city of Abeokuta, home to the historic Iwe Iroyin Press Centre, recently hosted stakeholders for the 1st Quadrennial and 9th National Delegates Conference of the Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA).
The gathering brought together labour leaders, unionists, and activists, providing a platform to critically examine federal government policies and their impact on Nigerian workers and the wider populace.
Delivering his address, PERESSA President, Comrade Rufus Olusesan, who was re-elected unopposed, strongly criticised what he described as anti-poor economic policies. He lamented that the government’s inability to tackle widespread insecurity has worsened the nation’s economic crisis.
According to him:
> “We cannot afford to ignore the painful realities confronting Nigeria’s economy today. Inflation is eroding the already meagre wages of workers, while unemployment has reached alarming levels, leaving families in despair. The rising cost of living is now far beyond the reach of ordinary workers, threatening household survival, national productivity, and social stability.”
Olusesan further noted that the increase in electricity tariffs has made life unbearable for both homes and industries. He warned that manufacturers and small-scale businesses, already struggling, face imminent collapse due to the unaffordable cost of power.
He issued a strong rejection of the proposal contained in the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 to introduce a 5 per cent fuel tax on petrol, diesel, and other fossil fuels from January 1, 2026.
> “Such a reckless and anti-people policy comes at a time when Nigerians are grappling with unprecedented hardship, spiralling inflation, high food prices, wage erosion, and worsening working conditions. The removal of fuel subsidies in 2023 already pushed pump prices from ₦197 to between ₦890 and ₦1,000 per litre. Adding another 5 percent — about ₦50 more per litre — will only deepen the survival crisis for millions,” he stressed.
Olusesan also reacted to recent remarks by Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, who dismissed reports of the proposed surcharge as “false and misleading.” He argued that such denials are part of a familiar government tactic of deceiving the public.
> “This reflects the deceptive rhetoric Nigerians have come to expect from government officials. Public denials often pacify citizens while exploitative measures are quietly drafted behind closed doors. This pattern of gaslighting only deepens public distrust,” he declared.
The PERESSA president further faulted the N70,000 new minimum wage, describing it as grossly inadequate.
> “Government celebrates the new minimum wage, yet its value has already been eroded by inflation, naira devaluation, and corruption. Even the United States has openly stated that such a wage cannot lift Nigerians out of poverty. It is hypocritical for politicians — who allocate obscene salaries and perks to themselves — to expect workers, lecturers, doctors, and nurses to survive on slave wages,” he added.
On the recently approved National Industrial Relations Policy (NIRP) 2025, Olusesan stated that PERESSA firmly rejects it. He argued that the policy is designed to suppress union activities, criminalise strikes, and entrench poverty wages, all under the guise of promoting “harmonious industrial relations.”
Also speaking at the event, Deputy General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ismail Bello, called on the labour movement to unite against anti-labour employers.
He cautioned that no employer has the authority to determine union membership or interfere with workers’ rights to organise.
> “There should be no hiding place for employers who undermine the right of workers to freedom of association. No employer has the right to choose a union for workers or help organise workers. As workers, we must stand united against any attempt to deny us these fundamental rights,” Bello declared.
The conference ended with a renewed call for solidarity among Nigerian workers and a strong warning to the government against implementing anti-people economic policies.
