The
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has faulted the federal government on the hike in
the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly called petrol describing it
“as an act of insensitivity and impunity”.
The
NLC in a statement by Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, General Secretary, said; “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.
“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.
“Furthermore,
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 to 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.”
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