The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have
given the federal government a three-day ultimatum to reverse its decision
to remove subsidy on petroleum motor spirit (PMS), which led to the
increase in the pump price of the product to N145 per litre from N86.50
per litre, or the workers would shut down the whole country at the
expiration of the ultimatum
NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Trade Union Congress (TUC) President,
Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, who spoke yesterday at a press conference that
also included Chairman of Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LACSCO), Dr.
Dipo Fashina, insisted that the organised labour would make good their
threat, should the government fail to reverse the pump price.
According Wabba, “in the event government fails to accede to these demands
on or before 12 midnight on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, the Nigeria Labour
Congress, the Trade Union Congress and their civil society allies resolve
to commence the following actions with effect from Wednesday, May 18,
2016: Mobilise to the streets across the country, ordinary and helpless
Nigerians to whom they owe the duty of protection. Shut down all Banks,
Sea and Airports, Government and private offices as well as Markets;
Commence indefinite nationwide strike action.
“Fight and resist the machinations and cruelties of the neo-liberal forces
in the government as part of the process of saving the government from
itself and the generality of Nigerians from slavery.”
He said the labour unions further forewarned Nigerians to prepare ahead of
the planned strike by stockpiling foodstuffs and other items in order to
not be caught unaware.
“Nigerians are therefore advised to stock sufficient food items that will
last for a while for the prosecution of the current struggle against
neo-liberal agenda in Nigeria.”
Wabba, who presented the position of labour stated that, “the emergency
meeting debated extensively the implications of government’s unilateral
increase in prices of petroleum products, noting government’s
disinclination for consultation on issues of public interest and its
obsession with protecting product marketers at the expense of the Nigerian
public.
“The meeting expressed concern about government’s neo-liberal policies
which it considered a betrayal of its electioneering promises and observed
as follows:
During the electioneering campaign last year, the Presidential Candidate
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, had promised
that, if elected president, he would not remove fuel subsidy if there was
any at all.”
“After his election, President Muhammadu Buhari had maintained that there
was no subsidy in the petroleum product price regime and that even if
there was, he did not see how its removal would be beneficial to the
ordinary Nigerian, noting that the slightest product price adjustment
often leads to inflationary spiral and unimaginable suffering for the
people.”
“On January 18, 2016, the government further allayed the fears of the
Nigerian people by reducing the pump price of PMS to N86:50, explaining
that the reduction was in furtherance of the implementation of the revised
component of the Petroleum Products Pricing for PMS and kerosene,” he
added.
Wabba was however disappointed that “the Minister of State for Petroleum
Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had been speaking from both sides of his
mouth.” According to him, “whereas last year, he had strongly canvassed
for the removal of “subsidy” in defiance of President Buhari, about a
month ago, he claimed the subsidy had been removed through his ingenuity
and that Nigeria was saving $1billion from this process.
He said, “organised labour wondered what has informed government’s sudden
and dangerous policy summersault and its desperate attempt to convince the
public that labour was part of the decision that led to this price
increase.”
“In view of the fact that the board of the Petroleum Products Pricing
Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), which is statutorily vested with powers to
recommend prices, has not been reconstituted, the price variation
announced by any officer of the agency or outside the agency is not only
ultra vires and illegal, it is a criminal imposition on the citizenry”.
“The price hike from N86:50 to N145, representing 67.63 per cent increase,
is the height of insensitivity and impunity as there was no previous
consultation with stakeholders, especially the organised labour, or any
justification for this reckless decision other than the fact that
government believes it is accountable to no one,” he pointed out.