Nigeria Labour Congress has called a National Executive Committee meeting over the removal of fuel subsidy.
On Saturday, subsidy was officially removed from the template of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The Federal Government had on Tuesday reduced the price of petrol from N87 to N86.5 and N86.
It said while filling stations belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation would, as from last Friday, start selling petrol at N86 per litre, other oil marketers would sell the commodity at N86.5.
The Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, which announced the new prices after getting approval from the Federal Government, indicated that fuel subsidy had been removed with the new template.
But the NLC, in the New Year message by its President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, had said the price reduction was influenced by the International Monetary Fund.
The NLC President said that any attempt to foist an increase in the prices of petroleum products on the citizenry by the Muhammadu Buhari Administration in the name of subsidy removal would amount to a betrayal of trust.
Also, the General Secretary of the NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Esan, had told one of our correspondents that the congress was determined to put its affiliate unions and state councils on the alert for mass action to oppose the removal of the petroleum subsidy.
He had stated, “We wish to restate our opposition, adopted at our Central Working Committee Emergency Meeting of 22nd December, to any attempt by the government to increase the price of or remove subsidy on petrol.
“We reiterate our directive to our State Councils and Industrial Unions to commence the process of mobilisation prior to a meeting of the National Executive Committee to be convened in the New Year.”
On Saturday, Ozo-Esan, restated the NLC’s opposition to the new price regime, insisting that the congress would call a meeting of its National Executive Committee to discuss the issue of the prices announced by the Federal Government.
He said the NLC was not comfortable with the price reduction of 50k announced by the government because due process was not followed in arriving at the price.
He noted that labour was worried because there was the high possibility that Nigerians could be deceived with the reduction announced after which the pump price could be doubled.
He said that the NLC would commence the process of calling the NEC meeting as soon as the office reopened for work.
He said, “The date for the NEC has not been taken, the NEC will be called in the New Year. The process of calling the NEC will commence as soon as the office reopens on Monday. When we pick a date, it would be communicated to the media.
“We do not want a situation where Nigerians are deceived by the temporary reduction announced by the government. The PPRA board has not been constituted to recommend the price, there is a process, that has to be followed, and that has not happened.
“If we keep quiet now because a reduction has been announced now, a precedent may have set, if they decided to double the pump price.
“We are worried because we don’t want Nigerians to be deceived. The NEC meeting will still be called.”
But the Transition Monitoring Group dissociated itself from any protest against the fuel subsidy removal
Its spokesman, Mr. Armsfree Ajanaku, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said, “TMG is not part of the planned protest against the so-called removal of subsidy. As far as we are concerned, Labour should not call out Nigerians for a protest we believe would not address the issue. We are all witnesses to the monumental fraud that has characterised the administration of subsidy over the years. Now that the reality of falling crude prices offers the government an opportunity to do away with this avenue of waste, it is our considered view that we should not put spanners in the works.
“We are for affordable and available fuel for all Nigerians. TMG would, however, not protest an attempt by the government to end a subsidy system that has not truly benefited the ordinary Nigerian. We recall that attempts like the SURE P, which Labour was part of, failed woefully in providing safety nets after subsidy was removed in 2012.
“If memory serves us well, back in 2012, Labour called out Nigerians to the streets, only to unilaterally abandon the struggle to negotiate in favour of some parochial interests. This time around, Nigerians would not be railroaded into be used and dumped over subsidy as it happened in 2012. TMG believes Labour should rather channel its energy to fighting against the attempt to upend minimum wage in the states as well as other pro people battles. It is clear that the fuel subsidy has been a drain pipe; government should be supported to sort it out once and for all.”
But the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria on its part said subsidy removal could only become an issue when the price of petrol was below production cost.
Its Secretary General, Mr. Alade Lawal, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said, “I don’t know about any group of people planning to hit the streets on Monday. The position of labour on subsidy removal is very clear. Convene a stakeholders meeting which must include labour and throw open for discussion the subject matter with all facts put on the table.
“As far as we are concerned, subsidy removal becomes an issue when the price of petrol is sold below the production cost. The reverse is the case for now. Organised labour is a mature group which acts based on facts and figures and not the other way round. For us, when we get to the bridge we will cross it. We are not yet there.”
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