By Victor Ahiuma-Young
In a swift reaction, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, rejected the increase and vowed to resist it alongside its civil society allies, calling on government to revert the hike to avoid a nationwide mass protest and industrial unrest.
In a statement, NLC said it had already summoned an emergency National Executive Council, NEC meeting for Friday, May 13, 2016 (tomorrow) to decide on the next line of action, urging all affiliates, state councils and civil society allies to commence mobilization immediately.
In the statement by Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, General Secretary, Ayuba Wabba of NLC said: “The unilateral increase in prices of petroleum products today by government represents the height of insensitivity and impunity and shall be resisted by the Nigeria Labour Congress and its civil society allies.
With the imposition on the citizenry of criminal and unjustifiable electricity tariff and resultant darkness and other economic challenges brought on by the devaluation of the Naira and spiraling inflation, the least one had expected at this point in time was another policy measure that would further make life more miserable for the ordinary Nigerian
“The latest increase is the most audacious and cruel in the history of product price increase as It represents not only about 80 per cent increase but it is tied to the black market exchange rate.
Further more, the process through which government arrived at this is both illogical and illegal as the board of the PPPRA is not duly constituted. In our previous statements and communiqués, we had stressed the need for reconstituting the boards of NNPC and PPPRA and wean both away from the overbearing influence of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources who has assumed the role of a Sole Administrator.
“The allusion to the fact that the this increase was arrived at after due consultation with stake holders is not only ridiculous and fallacious, it goes to show that the brief meeting held today during which government was advised shelve the idea until at least it meets with the appropriate organs of the Congress was in bad faith. Accordingly, we urge the government to revert the prices to what they were. We would want to put everybody on notice that we shall resist this criminal increase with every means legitimate.”
The statement added: “Already an emergency NEC meeting has been scheduled for Friday, May 13, 2016 to decide on the next line of action. Meanwhile, our affiliates, state councils and civil society allies are requested to commence mobilization immediately.”
On its part, the Joe Ajaero faction, equally rejected the hike, warning that there would massive resistance by organized labour jointly to ensure that this further injury and hardship on Nigerians did not stand.
According to Ajaero, We are not going to accept it, we will jointly resist this additional injury, hardship and pain on the Nigerian people and workers. I can tell you that there would be massive and serious protest and mass action against this latest onslaught against Nigerian masses. However, we will respond appropriately next week. We had suspected that this was going to happen because unfortunately that the budget does not make any provisions for supporting the existing subsidy on petroleum products especially Petrol and Kerosene – products that have direct bearing on the lives of the common man.
Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that Mr. Wabba led faction received an invitation for a meeting by the office of the Vice President without starting the agenda of the meeting.
Because Wabba was out of the country, Mr. Peters Adeyemi, one of the deputies represented him.
It was equally gathered that the President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, President of NUPENG, Igwe Achese and President of PENGASSAN, Mr. Francis Johnson were all in attendance.
One of the labour leaders privy to the meeting told Vanguard that on arrival at the meeting, the Vice President informed the labour leaders of the intention of government and sought for understanding.
However, the source said the labour leaders were not allowed to response, but told the meeting that they had no power to even response because labour had its organs and that the organs would respond appropriately.
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