NLC Talks Tough, Says, “We Shall Resist This Increase”

The Nigerian Labour Congress on Wednesday
said it would resist the federal government’s
scrapping of fuel subsidy and increase of petrol
price to about N145 per litre.

“The unilateral increase in prices of petroleum
products today by government represents the
height of insensitivity and impunity and shall
be resisted by the Nigeria Labour Congress and
its civil society allies,” the congress said,
through a statement by its General Secretary,
Peter Ozo-Eson.


The statement added, “With the imposition on
the citizenry of criminal and unjustifiable
electricity tariff and resultant darkness and
other economic challenges brought on by the
devaluation of the Naira and spiraling inflation,
the least one had expected at this point in time
was another policy measure that would further
make life more miserable for the ordinary
Nigerian.

“The latest increase is the most audacious and
cruel in the history of product price increase as
It represents not only about 80 per cent
increase but it is tied to the black market
exchange rate.

“Further more, the process through which
government arrived at this is both illogical and
illegal as the board of the PPPRA is not duly
constituted. In our previous statements and
communiques, we had stressed the need for
reconstituting the boards of NNPC and PPPRA
and wean both away from the overbearing
influence of the Minister of State for Petroleum
Resources who has assumed the role of a Sole
Administrator.

“The allusion to the fact that the this increase
was arrived at after due consultation with stake
holders is not only ridiculous and fallacious, it
goes to show that the brief meeting held today
during which government was advised shelve
the idea until at least it meets with the
appropriate organs of the Congress was in bad
faith.

“Accordingly, we urge the government to
revert the prices to what they were. We would
want to put everybody on notice that we shall
resist this criminal increase with every means
legitimate.

“Already an emergency NEC meeting has been scheduled for
Friday, May 13, 2016 to decide on the next line of action.
Meanwhile, our affiliates, state councils and civil society allies
are requested to commence mobilization immediately.”

Meanwhile, shortly before the formal announcement, there
were long queues at filling stations in Abuja and environs as
anxious motorists tried frantically to buy fuel at the price of
N86.50 pending when the filing stations would adjust their
pumps to reflect the new price.

Source: Premium Times