You can’t watch Nigerians suffer – NLC tackles Tinubu govt as fuel price increases to N1430/litre

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has made a fresh demand from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Federal Government as fuel prices cross N1,430 per litre in the country.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the demand in a statement on Wednesday.

DAILY POST reports that following the rise in crude oil prices to above $104 per barrel, filling stations in Nigeria, including Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, retail outlets, increased their pump prices to N1,395 and N1,450 per litre in Abuja and its environs.

The latest fuel price hike comes after Dangote Refinery and depot owners raised their gantry and ex-depot petrol prices to between N1,265 and N1,340 per litre.

Reacting to the development, NLC President Ajaero said the fuel price increase had pushed up transportation costs, including fees, rents, tariffs and food prices.

He said the rising cost of living had inflicted or deepened poverty among Nigerians, including workers.

He lamented that despite the trillions of naira made by the Tinubu administration from crude oil sales and windfall revenues, the government was yet to provide palliatives for Nigerians.

According to him, with the 2027 presidential election around the corner, the Tinubu administration should not watch petroleum product marketers inflict pain on citizens in the name of deregulation of the oil and gas sector.

Ajaero, therefore, called on Tinubu to intervene quickly with adequate palliatives to cushion the rising cost of living for Nigerians.

He further added that the Nigerian government should provide local refineries with sufficient crude oil to reduce the impact of global energy shocks on the country.

“These measures are all the more necessary and urgent because the government is making extra money in the international spot market (of between USD35 and 40 per barrel above the budgeted figure). This translates to trillions of naira a month.

“Government ought to be satisfied with this as it is a windfall.

“On a long-term basis, we are equally concerned that local refineries are importing crude. This is unreasonable and unacceptable and defeats the logic and purpose of local capacity.

“We are of the view that a government that seeks re-election in the next few months cannot afford to stand and watch marketers inflict suffering on the citizenry in the name of deregulation,” he stated.