The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that Nigerians might soon be paying as much as N5000 per litre for petrol.
In a recent interview with Daily Trust, NLC spokesperson Benson Upah shared his concerns, stating:
“We are planning a meeting with the relevant bodies within the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to discuss and make decisions that we believe are in the best interest of our members and the nation. However, the current sentiment is one of widespread anger. This anger is not confined to the NLC alone but is felt by almost every Nigerian, except for the privileged one percent who have everything and are therefore not complaining. The rest of the population is discontented, reflecting the general mood of the country.
Following the announcement, a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Mr. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, claimed that our statements were false and that no agreement had been reached. We want to stress that we feel betrayed by the recent increase in the pump price of petroleum products.
When Mr. President called for negotiations, we were initially stuck at N62,000. He presented two options: either agree to our recommendation of N250,000 with a rise in PMS price to N1,500 or N2,000, or maintain the N62,000 with no change. We were given a few hours to decide, but instead, we requested more time and later asked for at least a week to consult outside the Villa. After this period, the Presidency met again, and the labour leaders clearly rejected the N250,000 offer.
This decision was made with the average Nigerian’s well-being in mind, questioning the impact of such a price hike on ordinary people.
In summary, the president has breached his promise to the labour leaders. The situation extends beyond the scope of minimum wage negotiations and affects the broader population. Since the fuel subsidy was removed on May 29, 2023, Nigerians have been struggling to adjust to rising costs in education, transportation, food, and more. The new price increase introduces further uncertainty, moving from pain to unpredictability.
When the president suggested a potential rise in fuel prices to N2,000, a labour leader questioned him about the ongoing subsidy removals. The subsidy was removed, and prices were stabilized, so why is there talk of further increases? What justifies raising the pump price from N650 to N1,500 or N2,000?
This situation suggests that the worst may not yet be over. We could end up paying as much as N5,000 per litre for fuel. We hope this does not come to pass, but if it does, the final decision will be up to the Nigerian people.”
