Fuel, Electricity Hike Not Intended To Cause Nigerians Pain- Buhari

By Akwashiki John, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said the recent increase in the price of petroleum products and hike in electricity tariff was not intended to cause pain to workers and Nigerians in general.

The president who was speaking through Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) at the ongoing bilateral meeting between Federal Government and organised labour, said the decision was done in the best interest of the people and working class.

He said President Buhari objected the move to deregulate the sector in 2015, stressing that five years down the line, is a decision that must have been painfully considered.

“The president has said that no government decision taken is intended to cause any pain or harm, the decisions that we have taken is of utmost interest to all people and working class.

“I have the privilege of working in Presidential transition committee set up by president Buhari and I remember the decisions that were presented to him. One of the decisions by the team considered as low hanging fruit in 2015 was deregulation, and I think president Buhari objected to it.

“Thereafter the issue was reflected in the final report. There was the need to consider seriously the issues relating to deregulation of petroleum sector, and the need to look at energy sufficiency and efficiency, within the power on what needed to be done.

“When the report was submitted to Buhari his reaction was that the Nigerian people elected him not to inflict pain on them. He said though he considers that economically as a low hanging fruit, he felt that the time was not yet ripe for it. That the important thing is to manage before such decision will ever be taken.

“Five years down the line, that decision has become imperative and cannot be escaped, it is a decision that must have been painfully considered”.

TUC president, Comrade Quadri Olaleye while speaking said the congress had suggested to the government on how to resolve the issues but government turn a deaf ear.

He said the issues would have been solved by now if government had engage organised labour before now.

“The most important thing to us today is that we are here, we are engaging with you. Like I mentioned in the last meeting we had here that if we have been having constructive engagement in the past, maybe we would have been able to solve some of these problems.

“But the government turned a deaf ear to us even before the arrival of the world enemy COVID-19, we have written to government suggesting alternative way to run the economy, but nobody ever listened.

“And I can send to you many communications from Labour movement suggesting solutions and now we have found ourselves in this situation but the truth of the matter is that Nigerians are suffering and it is our responsibility as Labour centres to fight for their rights, to protect their interest.

“N30, 000 minimum wage was agreed last year and now there is increase in PMS Price, increase in tariff of electricity, introduction of stamp duty and some other hardship on the workers and their families.

“We live in a country where a worker is responsible to more than 12 people. At least eight from his family and the other six from the in-laws house. I wonder how N30, 000 will be able to cater for all these but instead of the government to look at a better way to increase our lot, we are the sacrificial animal to make the economy better for few people”.

The meeting which commenced at 4:10pm Thursday ended at about 9:20pm with both parties refusing to shift grounds on their earlier positions.

Briefing labour correspondents at the end of the meeting, the convener and minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngigi said the meeting was a “Fruitful meeting. They are going back to their organs. When they consult their organs tomorrow, next tomorrow maybe they will take a new decision. We have requested them to shelve the strike. We have appealed to them to shelve the strike.

The government side agreed proposals with them on the palliative to cushion the effect of the rise in petroleum products and electricity.

The meeting agreed to adjourn to Monday, 3pm we had a fruitful discussion”.