The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has faulted the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) on the new pump price, describing it as another avenue to impoverish the citizens.
NLC said that the new adjustment in pump price, if not reversed, will alter Nigerians and corporate organisations’ economic projections for the last quarter of the year.
The labour unions request came after the product previously sold by NNPC outlets for N897 in Abuja, the nation’s capital, currently sells for N1,030, while Lagos vehicle owners buy the product from its outlets for N998 per litre.
President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, stated this Wednesday while responding to the new pump price allegedly approved by the NNPCL through its outlets in the country.
Ajaero noted that the new price, if allowed to remain, will deepen poverty as production capacities could nosedive and more job losses.
According to him, “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 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, 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 result. 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”.
