Hike In Fuel Price: Labour Kicks Of Nationwide Protest January 27

*Insists Buhari Should Sign Electoral Act Amendment Bill Into Law*

By Dennis Nwajiuba

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has vowed to resist proposed plans by the Federal Government to increase the pump price of petrol by 2022 and therefore planned a massive protest from January 27^th.

To this end, it has mobilised its members to standby for a nationwide protest from 27th January 2021.

Congress however added that should the proposed price take effect before the date scheduled for the protest, Congress would immediately mobilise members to shut down services without delay.

This was contained in a communique signed by President and General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, issued at the end of its Central Working Committee (CWC)/National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Friday in Abuja.

According to the leadership of Congress, the NEC any further increase in petrol would “expose Nigerian workers and the generality of the citizenry to acute deprivation, hardship and suffering as it would worsen the already established trend of hyperinflation in the country;

“That the genesis of the crisis in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sub-sector especially as it relates to the petrol pump price regime could be linked to a Policy of Importation Based Pricing Template for Refined Petroleum Products as against Local Production Based Pricing Template;

“That as long as the pricing of refined petroleum products is based on Importation Pricing Template which is heavily dependent on a volatile foreign exchange rate heavily skewed against the Naira, the price of petrol and other refined petroleum products will continue to rise beyond the reach of average Nigerian workers and citizens; and

“That the foregoing informed the traditional position of the Congress to reject an incessant increase in the pump price of petrol which is usually disguised as deregulation or removal of fuel subsidy. The NEC, therefore, condemned plans by the Federal Government to increase the pump price of petrol.