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Labour rejects increase in petrol price, calls for reversal
BY IGWE OKOSO
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected Wednesday increase in the cost of petrol as announced by the PPPRA and subsequently told the federal government to reverse it with immediate effect.
The government through the Petroleum Products Price Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, had on Wednesday announced a new price regime for the PMS from N123.50 to N143.80 with effect from July 1.
Reacting to the new price, the NLC, said it received the news of the increment with shock and consternation.
The NLC in a statement signed by its president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said that the new hike in the pump price of PMS was announced without the approval of the board of the PPPRA and the oversight ministry, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The NLC described as embarrassing the “arbitrariness and public contempt” in the operations of PPPRA, saying it was deeply disturbing.
Labour in the statement said, “We demand that the Federal Government reverts to the old price of petroleum especially given the fact that price of crude oil in the international market has only slightly increased from the previous price before the so-called downward review was announced two months ago.
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“We also renew our call for a national conversation on the management of our oil assets which we insist must be in tandem with the provisions our country’s constitution which clearly mandates that the commanding heights of our national economy must be held by the government in the interest of the citizens of Nigeria.
“Finally, we demand that our four national petroleum refineries must be fixed without any further delay.
“Nigerian workers want to be appraised of the timeline set by the government to ensure that this is effectively done.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Workers are major stakeholders in the Nigerian project. Nigerian workers and people must not only be treated fairly but must be seen to have been so treated by their government,” Ayuba said.