The organized labour in Nigeria says unless the federal government rescinds its decision on the removal of fuel subsidy, it will have no choice but to call its members to down tools beginning on Wednesday next week, June 7, 2023.
Rising from an emergency National Executive Council NEC meeting on Friday in Abuja, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero, said that the huge amount of funds which he said ran into trillions of Nigeria by subsequent governments in the country for the payment of subsidy on fuel as well as the turn around maintenance of the nation’s four refineries, has not yielded any fruit.
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Addressing the media after the meeting, the NLC President, called for the urgent investigation of the subsidy regime in Nigeria saying it has been more of a bottomless pit investment by various past governments in Nigeria.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress is hereby calling for proper investigation in the process of subsidy to know those who are beneficiaries, to know the amount involved and to investigate properly before it is swept under the carpet.
“The fraudulent attempt to sweep the issue of the fraudulent practices in the subsidy regime should not be tolerated by all well meaning Nigerians.
“That the NEC in session directed that the leadership of the NLC should be conscious of negotiating with people without portfolio”, Ajaero said.
He said that it was important that the NLC enters into negotiations with properly constituted government which will see that any decisions taken will be binding on it.
In his own words, “It is instructive that until a government is properly constituted and the people who will negotiate with labour are such people with mandate and capacity to commit the government of the day, such negotiations may not be valid.
“Consequently, the NLC decided that if by Wednesday next week, the NNPCL, a private Limited Liability Company that illegally announced a price regime in the oil sector, refuses to revert itself for negotiation to continue, that Nigeria Labour Congress and all its affiliates will withdraw their services and commence protest nationwide until this is complied with”, the NLC President said.
According to Ajaero, the NNPCL does not have the monopoly to fix prices as a private company.
“The NLC NEC therefore directed all State Councils and all Industrial Unions to commence mobilization from this moment to make sure that this action is in force”, he said.
Recall that the NNPC Limited adjusted pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as fuel or petrol across retail outlets, in line with current market realities
This development came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the formal removal of subsidy on fuel in Nigeria during his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square on May 29, 2023.
That announcement immediately saw the sky rocking price of the pump price of petrol across the country
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