Bellnewsonline.com had earlier reported the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero while featuring on a Channels TV programme on Wednesday, announced that Nigeria Labour Congress would meet with representatives of the Nigerian Government over the removal of fuel subsidy.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to immediately instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to withdraw its “vexatious Pricing template” to allow free flow of discussions with the government on subsidy removal.
Bellnewsonline.com had earlier reported the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero while featuring on a Channels TV programme on Wednesday, announced that Nigeria Labour Congress would meet with representatives of the Nigerian Government over the removal of fuel subsidy.
The meeting he said was slated for 2pm.
It had been reported that President Tinubu announced during his inaugural speech on Monday at the Eagle Square, Abuja that there would be no more fuel subsidy. And hours after the speech, long queues returned to filling stations across the country amid fuel scarcity occasioned by panic buying and hoarding of premium motor spirit, otherwise called petrol, by fuel dealers.
However, few hours to the proposed meeting of organised labour with Government representatives, NNPCL released a list of adjusted pump prices for its mega stations across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to the released price list, the new pump price for premium motor spirit (PMS), ranges from N488 in Lagos State to N557 per litre in Yobe and Borno states, while it is N537 in Abuja and Enugu N520.
Reacting to the new pricing template, the NLC opposed it declaring that Nigerians would not accept any manipulations of any kind from any of the parties especially from the representatives of the Government.
NLC in a statement signed by its President Comrade Ajaero, said they are worried that the government through the NNPC despite the ongoing meeting of Stakeholders in the oil and Gas sector to manage the unilateral but unfortunate announcement by the President to withdraw subsidy on petroleum products, went ahead to announce a new regime of prices under a new pricing template.
Ajaero said the government announcement of new regime of prices while still discussing with stakeholders was an ambush which he said, runs against the spirit and principles of Social Dialogue which remains the best platform available for the resolution of all the issues arising out of the petroleum Down-stream sector.
The NLC boss said that government cannot in one breathe be talking about deregulation and at the same time fixing the prices of Petroleum products. “This negates the spirit of allowing the operation of the free market unless the government has as usual usurped, captured or become Market forces.”
Describing it as unacceptable, NLC President said “we seriously condemn it” adding that “good faith negotiation is key to reaching agreement. What the government has done is like holding a gun to the head of Nigerian people and bringing undue pressure on the leaders thus undermine the dialogue.
“We call on the federal government to immediately instruct the NNPC to withdraw this vexatious Pricing template to allow free flow of discussions by the parties. Nigerians would not accept any manipulations of any kind from any of the parties especially from the representatives of the Government.
“Our commitment to this process is buoyed on the fact that all the parties would be committed to ensuring that it is carried out within the ambits of liberty without undue pressure. The release of that Template may not allow us to continue if nothing is done to withdraw it so that the dialogue can continue unhindered. It is clear that Government is actually trying to scuttle the process.
“As it stands, the federal government has become fixated on their chosen course of action. Would this help this dialogue? It clearly will not. There must be flexibility to allow concessions and reasonable accommodation that will produce the best result for Nigerian people. This is what we all seek at this time,” he said.