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‘Betrayal’ – NLC Reacts To Petrol Price Increase, Lists Demands

Published

3 months ago

Sep 3, 2024.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the federal government for betrayal following the Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s (NNPC) increase in petrol prices.

In a statement on Tuesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero criticized the government’s move to raise the pump price to ₦855 per litre, emphasizing that it contradicts their agreement to keep fuel prices stable while implementing the new ₦70,000 minimum wage.

The NLC labeled the price hike as traumatic and nightmarish, pointing out that the new wage is yet to be enforced. Ajaero accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of consistent betrayal, suppressing peaceful protests, and exacerbating the hardships faced by Nigerians.

EDITOR’S PICKS

EKO HOT BLOG reports that accordingly, the NLC demanded the immediate:
1). Reversal of the latest increase in the pump of PMS across the country;

2). Release of all those incarcerated or being prosecuted on the assumption of having participated in the recent protests;

3). Halt the indiscriminate arrest and detention of citizens on trumped up charges;

4). Reversal of the 250% tariff hike in electricity;

5). Stop the hijack of the duties of the Ministry of Labour and Employment;

6). End to policies that engender hunger and insecurity;

7). Halt to the government’s culture of terror, fear and lying.

NLC Petrol Price Increase

The NLC statement reads: “We are filled with a deep sense of betrayal as the federal government clandestinely increases the pump price of pms. One of the reasons for accepting N70,000 as national minimum wage was the understanding that the pump price of pms would not be increased even as we knew that N70,000 was not sufficient.

“We recall vividly when Mr President gave us the devil’s alternatives to choose from: either N250,000 as minimum wage (subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000) and N70,000 (at old pms rates), we opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians.

“But here we are, barely one month after and with government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain.