The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday, September 3rd, called for the immediate reversal of the recent hike in fuel prices announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The NNPCL had increased the pump price of petrol from ₦568 to approximately ₦897 per litre.
In a strongly-worded statement, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed deep disappointment, accusing the federal government of betraying the trust of Nigerian workers. He highlighted that the recent increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) comes despite an earlier agreement tied to the acceptance of a ₦70,000 national minimum wage.
Ajaero recalled a discussion with President Bola Tinubu, where workers were presented with two alternatives: a ₦250,000 minimum wage with petrol prices ranging from ₦1,500 to ₦2,000 per litre, or a ₦70,000 minimum wage with the understanding that fuel prices would remain unchanged. The NLC opted for the latter to avoid further economic hardship on Nigerians.
“Yet here we are, barely one month later, with the government still to commence payment of the new minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain. It is both traumatic and nightmarish,” Ajaero said.
The NLC has demanded not only the reversal of the fuel price hike but also the release of individuals detained or prosecuted in connection with recent protests. The union also called for an end to the “indiscriminate” arrest of citizens, the reversal of a 250% hike in electricity tariffs, and a halt to government policies that, according to them, fuel hunger and insecurity.
“We are guided by our belief in our country and the need to secure and sustain its sovereignty, integrity, and the welfare of the people,” Ajaero concluded.
