The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has kicked against the increase in the price of petroleum as announced by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) today, September 3, describing it as a “Betrayal.”
In a statement reacting to the increase, the Congress President, Joe Ajaero wanted immediate reversal of the price of petrol, advising President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to put an end “to policies that engender hunger and insecurity” and “to government’s culture of terror, fear and lying.”
In the statement titled: “we feel betrayed,” the NLC President, stressed the deep sense of betrayal Nigerians feel as the federal government clandestinely increased 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.
It is both traumatic and nightmarish.
“Yet, when we told government that it’s approach to resolving the fuel subsidy contradictions was patently faulty and would not last, it’s front row cheer leaders sneered at us, saying we did not understand basic economics .
“But if truth be told, this act of betrayal is consistent with the character of this government. We recall the assurances we were given by the leadership of the National Assembly on the 250% tariff hike, that it had been dealt with and there was no need to openly engage the Minister of Power who was at that meeting.
“Instead of the promised reversal, the rate has since been jerked up further putting more Nigerians and businesses in jeopardy.
“The combined effects of government’s ferocious right -wing market policies brought Nigerians and Nigeria to their all-time low and led to the End-Hunger/End Bad Governance protests.
“Rather than make amends, government arrested and hounded into detention some of those who took part and some of those who had nothing to do with these protests, charging them with criminal conspiracy, subversion, treasonable felony, terrorism financing and cyber crime with an intent to overthrow the government of President Tinubu.
“The police and other security agencies have since been on rampage terrorising the citizenry in pursuance of government’s agenda of muzzling lawful dissent.
In brazen pursuit, they have defamed and libelled not a few individuals.”
Joe Ajaero said that when the State and the security forces picked on the citizens in a hybrid war, “we had our suspicions. We knew they were up to something sinister and needed to distract/divert our attention or possibly frighten or weaken us before they came out with it so that we would not have a robust response.
“Now that they chickens have come to roost, we were right in our suspicions. However, we want to let Nigerians know that the clandestine/surreptitious increase in the pump price of pms is the first among the equally sinister policies government has up its sleeve.
“On our part, we stand resolute with the people and will neither be distracted nor intimidated by the government or its security agencies.
“We insist that government cannot criminalise protests or basic rights in the domain of the citizenry.
“Accordingly, we demand 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 to the hijack of the duties of the Ministry of Labour and Employment;
6). End to policies that engender hunger and insecurity;
7). Halt to government’s culture of terror, fear and lying.
“We are guided by our belief in our country and the need to secure and sustain its sovereignty, integrity and welfare of the people.
“In the coming days, the appropriate organs of the Congress will be meeting to take appropriate decisions which will be made public.”
More grease to NLC elbows.