NLC demands reversal of hike in petrol price

The Nigeria Labour Congress has called for the immediate reversal of the hike in the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Retail stations of NNPC raised the price of petrol to N1,030 from N897/litre in Abuja, and in Lagos it was hiked to N998/litre from N868/litre. Other locations witnessed similar price hike.

The Tinubu-led government, in the less than 17 months of it’s administration, has upwardly adjusted the price of petrol by over 430 per cent from May 29, when it took over the reins of power.

In a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, the NLC contended that following the logic of market forces, it is an aberration that a private company (NNPCL) is the one fixing prices and projecting itself as a hegemonic monopoly.

The statement reads, “We are dismayed by the latest increase in the pump price of petrol. It looks like the only thing this government is known for is the increase in the pump price of petrol without commensurate capacity of Nigerians or mitigatory measures.

“Even following the logic of market forces, we find it an aberration that a private company (NNPCL) is the one fixing prices and projecting itself as a hegemonic monopoly. We challenge the government to go to the drawing board and present us with a blueprint for inclusive economic growth and national development instead of this spasmodic ad hocism and palliative policy.

“It needs no stating the fact that the latest wave of increase has grossly altered the calculations of Nigerians once again at a time they were reluctantly coming to terms with their new realities. It will further deepen poverty as production capacities dip, and more jobs lost with multidimensional negative effects.

“In light of this, we urge the government to immediately reverse this rate hike as previous increases did not produce any good results. People only got poorer. But more fundamentally, the government should be bold enough to tell Nigerians in advance the destination it wants to take the country.”