Shettima, 36 Govs, others hold NEC meeting to review subsidy palliatives

Vice President Kashim Shettima, the 36 governors in Nigeria, the Director General of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, stakeholders from the World Bank and other agencies of government, on Thursday held the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja.

The NEC meeting on Thursday is the second gathering of the Council, under the championship of the Vice President; and participants were expected to deliberate on the review of palliative proposal after the removal of petrol subsidy, the consequential sharp increase in the pump price of petrol to N617/litre, and the hardship it has caused on Nigerian citizens and businesses.

President Bola Tinubu had, after receiving caustic criticisms from the Organised Labour and other stakeholders in Nigeria against the planned palliatives of N8,000 transfer to 12 million of the poorest households in the country for six months, from a budget of $800 million, w8itheld further action, but opted for a review of the palliative regime.

Meanwhile, State House Correspondents were not allowed into the venue of the meeting, as participants went in for a closed door session.