A possible end to the ongoing nationwide strike action was in the offing last night after the Federal Government agreed to temporarily revert to the pre-New Year price of N65 per litre of petrol.

THE Senate and the House of Representatives, yesterday, expressed their resolve to end the current nationwide strike by organised labour against removal of fuel subsidy by government within 24 hours, following positive responses from both parties after series of meetings held in the past 72 hours.

The Senate, yesterday, joined the House of Representatives in asking President Goodluck Jonathan to revert fuel pump price to N65 per litre. In a closed door session, the senators urged the Senate President, Senator David Mark to convey the message of the upper chamber to President Jonathan within 24 hours.

The nationwide strike action called by organized labour and its civil society allies against the removal of the subsidy on petrol practically shut down the country yesterday as workers in private and public institutions abstained from duty. The strike action which was peaceful in most parts, however, turned bloody in Kano, Lagos and Benin where at least 12 persons were killed in controversial circumstances.

Rising from an extraordinary emergency session yesterday, members of the House of Representatives asked the executive arm of government to suspend the removal of subsidy on petroleum products in appreciation of the mood of the nation and to allow for more consultations.

Last minute moves by the Federal Governemnt to avert nationwide strike on the heels of the removal of subsidy on petrol apparently failed as Labour insisited, yesterday, that the strike commences tomorrow.

FOR the third consecutive day, protests in different parts of the country over the New Year Day’s removal of fuel subsidy continued yesterday in some parts of the country ahead of Organised Labour’s nationwide industrial action billed for Monday.

UNLESS the Federal Government reverts fuel price to N65 per litre, Nigeria’s economy would be shut down as from Monday, January 9, the Organised Labour has threatened.

One person was killed yesterday in Ilorin as spontaneous mass protests greeted the new year’s sudden removal of petrol subsidy in the country.

CONSEQUENCES of full deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry or removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government began taking its toll on the citizenry yesterday across the country. Commuters had to contend with over 100 per cent hike in transport fares as fuel price ranged from N140.50 to N200. Price differentials were noticed in many petrol stations within the same town.