The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned against the continuous increase in price of premium motor spirit widely known as petrol.
The workforce body in a Monday statement issued by its president, Ayuba Wabba in Abuja, said there is a limit to what Nigerians will accept should the scenario which saw the price of petrol increased from N158 to N170 continue.
The NLC also said the recent price hike of petrol is against the spirit and content of what it agreed with the federal government at the last negotiations over the last fuel price increase.
“It has also cast our utmost good faith in very bad light with regards to government explanations that it lacks funds to continue bankrolling the so-called subsidy payments, as such would sooner than later cripple the entire economy, throw the country into severe economic crisis and cause loss of jobs in millions,” the statement read.
“There is a limit to what the citizens can tolerate if these abysmal increases in the price of refined petroleum products and other essential goods and services continue,” it added.
While demanding immediate reversal of the new price, the congress also underlined the need for the government to stamp out the smuggling of petroleum products out of the country and prosecute smugglers.
“We need to see big-time petroleum smugglers arraigned in the court of law and made to pay for their crimes against the Nigerian people. Government has the resources available to it to ensure this economic justice to Nigerians.
“The question in the minds of many Nigerians is whether the government is willing to go against major financiers of the major political parties known to the public as the architects of the current national woe.
“We will also receive updates from our representatives in the electricity review committee. The updates we receive will determine whether the government has kept to its side of the bargain which is to take serious steps to recover and reposition our public refineries.
“The outcome of this engagement will determine our response in the coming days. But while we are at that, we condemn the recent price increase and we call for its reversal with immediate effect.”
