NLC rejects hike in fuel price, says there’s a limit to what people can tolerate

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the immediate reversal of the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

In a statement on Monday by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, the union took a swipe at the government and condemned the increase in the price of the product.

It stated that the recent hike in petrol pump price has worsened the level of pain and anguish in the country.

According to the NLC, it is worrisome to make Nigerians continue to suffer for the failures of successive governments to properly manage the nation’s refineries.

It added that the development has questioned the explanations made by the government on the payment of subsidy.

The union insisted that the nation would not have been in its present position if the government had been alive to its responsibilities.

It warned that Nigerians have a limit to tolerate the continued increase in the price of refined petroleum products and other essential goods and services.

On the way forward, the NLC asked the government to fix the nation’s refineries, stressing that several options were available to tackle the trend of high prices of refined petroleum products.

Among other recommendations, it asked the government to declare a state of emergency in the downstream petroleum sector and seal refining deals with refineries closer to Nigeria.

The union was, however, silent on what action it would take if the increased price was not reversed.

The Federal Government had announced a new pump price band for petroleum products, raising the ex-depot price of petrol to N155.17, making marketers sell between N165 and N173 per litre to consumers. (Channels TV)