Following the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) increase in fuel price to N855, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has described the move as traumatic and nightmarish, accusing President Bola Tinubu of betraying them on an agreement reached earlier.
NLC said that the promise made before they accepted the N70,000 minimum wage by the president was that the pump price of fuel would not be reviewed upward.
The workers noted that they understood that the N70,000 was not enough for workers, but the Federal Government’s offer was accepted promising that the fuel prices would be maintained irrespective of the economic realities.
Meanwhile, the workers have demanded the immediate reversal of the fuel and electricity hike, the release of hunger protesters, and others.
The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, who stated this on Tuesday while reacting to the NNPC increase in pump price from 650 to N855, stressed that the Tinubu administration had since assuming office never kept promises made to Nigerian workers.
He said: “We are filled with a deep sense of betrayal as the federal government clandestinely increases the pump price of Petrol Motor Spirit (PMS).
“One of the reasons for accepting N70,000 as the new national minimum wage was the understanding that the pump price of petrol would not be increased even though we knew that N70,000 was insufficient.
“We recall vividly when Mr President gave us the devil’s alternatives to choose from: either N250,000 as minimum wage (subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000) and N70,000 (at old pms rates), we opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians.
“But here we are, barely one month after and with the government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain.
“It is both traumatic and nightmarish. Yet, when we told the government that it’s approach to resolving the fuel subsidy contradictions was patently faulty and would not last, it’s front row cheerleaders sneered at us, saying we did not understand basic economics.
“But if truth be told, this act of betrayal is consistent with the character of this government. We recalled the assurances we were given by the leadership of the National Assembly on the 250 percent tariff hike, that it had been dealt with and there was no need to openly engage the Minister of Power who was at that meeting.
“Instead of the promised reversal, the rate has since been jerked up further putting more Nigerians and businesses in jeopardy.
“The combined effects of government’s ferocious right -wing market policies brought Nigerians and Nigeria to their all-time low and led to the End-Hunger/End Bad Governance protests.
“Rather than make amends, government arrested and hounded into detention some of those who took part and some of those who had nothing to do with these protests, charging them with criminal conspiracy, subversion, treasonable felony, terrorism financing and cyber crime with an intent to overthrow the government of President Tinubu.
“The police and other security agencies have since been on rampage terrorising the citizenry in pursuance of government’s agenda of muzzling lawful dissent.
“In brazen pursuit, they have defamed and libelled not a few individuals. They have gone as far as appropriating the statutory roles of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in resolving trade dispute matters and issues considered outside the jurisdiction of the security agencies.
“That the government is on a rampage in the face of stifling conditions of living is an understatement but we promise Nigerians that we at the Nigeria Labour Congress will not be cowed into submission. Together with civil society, we brought about this democracy when some of the actors in power today were conspiring with the military on how to perpetuate their hold on political power.
“When the State and the security forces picked on us in a hybrid war, we had our suspicions. We knew they were up to something sinister and needed to distract/divert our attention or possibly frighten or weaken us before they came out with it so that we would not have a robust response.
“Now that the chickens have come to roost, we were right in our suspicions. However, we want to let Nigerians know that the clandestine/surreptitious increase in the pump price of PMS is the first among the equally sinister policies the government has up its sleeve.
“On our part, we stand resolute with the people and will neither be distracted nor intimidated by the government, or its security agencies.
“We insist that the government cannot criminalise protests or basic rights in the domain of the citizenry.
“Accordingly, we demand the immediate Reversal of the latest increase in the pump of PMS across the country;
“The release of all those incarcerated or being prosecuted on the assumption of having participated in the recent protests;
“Also, the government should halt the indiscriminate arrest and detention of citizens on trumped-up charges;
“Reversal of the 250% tariff hike in electricity as well as stop to the hijack of the duties of the Ministry of Labour and Employment;
“We demand that the government end policies that engender hunger and insecurity and halt to government’s culture of terror, fear and lying”.
