By Ben Ogbemudia, Abuja
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday said they are surprised that despite effort made by the Organised Labour in the last meeting with the Federal Government on hike in fuel price and electricity tariff, the latter is resolved to further impoverish Nigerians with the recent increase in fuel.
In a press release signed by Comrade Quadri A. Olaleye ,President, TUC, and Comrade (Barr.) Musa-Lawal Ozigi, Secretary General, TUC and made available to ThisNigeria said this is one increase, too many. Indeed a violation of all understandings they have had with government.
“We recall that at our meeting government appealed that subsidy removal was the only way out, else the economy will collapse and there would be massive job losses. We agreed with them to save the economy and the jobs.
“If the government claims to have “deregulated” the downstream sector of the oil and gas (which of course is subsidy removal), it therefore means the independent oil marketers are importing petrol at their own cost. Information at our disposal, however, is that no independent marketer is importing fuel, because they cannot access dollars. The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporations (NNPC) is still holding on to that monopoly.
” To make matters worse, it is the NNPC that instructed the new increase and not PPRA. What a regime of contradictions. NNPC has become a behemoth. “The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings” It appears this fault must be conquered for us to be free.
“From all indications government has again reneged on agreement reached with the organised labour few weeks ago. In few days the various committees involving government and the organised labour will brief labour and civil society and the outcome of that meeting will determine our next line of action.”
