Nigerian Labour unions on Thursday night stated that government’s plan to fully deregulate petrol pricing would be roundly resisted by the unions.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday noted that it would soon stop bearing the N120 billion monthly subsidy on the cost of petrol consumption by Nigerians.
According to the group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC Mallam Mele Kyari, the subsidy era must end if Nigeria must make progress.
However, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba reacting yesterday said the Federal Government should not pass the burden of petrol subsidy withdrawal to Nigerians.
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According to him, said Nigerians cannot bear the cost of petrol hike because they have been impoverished, adding that citizens should not be made to pay for the inefficiency of the government.
Buttressing his point, Wabba argued that an increase in the pump price of Petrol would erode the purchasing power of many Nigerians and further push them down the poverty line.
He said: ‘Nigerians also cannot bear it (the cost of petrol hike) because they are so impoverished that they can’t also bear the inefficiency of our system for these numbers of years.
‘We are the only member of the Operation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that is importing refined products. It is because of the inefficiency of governments – both past and present – that we are not able to fix our refineries.
‘For sure, many people have been pushed below the poverty line. Not only that, anytime you increase the price of petrol, prices of goods and services will go up and not only that, the purchasing powers of many Nigerians will also be eroded. It is between the devil and the deep blue sea.
‘There must be a way to make sure that Nigerians don’t suffer the consequences of what they have not bargained for. Those are the clear issues i think should come out of these conventions.
‘You are aware that economies around the world – including that of Nigeria – just came out of recession and many businesses are not doing well or they have closed and many individuals, including workers, have been pushed almost to the wall.
‘The consequences of fuel price hike will be so grievous, it will bring about instability, insecurity because where families can’t take care of their needs you should know also that everybody will be on their own and it will lead to some social consequences’ He added.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK