The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lawyers among others have demanded for the reversal of the price of petrol which was recently raised from N568 per litre to N897 per litre by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) on Tuesday.
Reacting to the price hike, these organisations on Thursday expressed outrage at the hike in petrol prices, lamenting that the Nigerian federal government is inflicting further hardship on Nigerians.
For instance, the NLC said in a statement that the Nigerian Government had undertaken, during the N70,000 minimum wage deal with the organised labour, not to approve further hike in the price of petrol and therefore called the recent price hike a betrayal by the government.
The TUC on it part, urged the government to rescind the decision on the recent increases in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff.
In its reaction, the leading opposition party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said: The thoughtless increase in fuel price, especially at this time, is a huge recipe for crisis, as Nigerians cannot bear its worsening effect on the suffocating economic hardship, which they currently face under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led APC administration.
“The secretive and corrupt administration of the petroleum sector and persistent increase in fuel price under the Tinubu-administration, without due regard to the wellbeing of the people, is akin to pushing Nigerians to the wall and daring them to do their worse.”
Ologunagba argued that the APC administration had consistently shown itself “to be anti-people, unconcerned and deaf to the agonies of millions of Nigerians who can no longer afford their daily meals, medications and basic support for families due to the catastrophic high cost of living occasioned by the insensitive and reckless policies of the Tinubu administration”.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima met with the Minister of State, Petroluem, Heineken Lokpobiri, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroluem Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari and the National Security Advisor, NSA, over the recent increase in petrol pump price and the scarcity of the product across the country.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the Petroleum minister Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri said: “We were summoned by the Vice President, who was directed by Mr. President to summon the meeting and we have been with him to brief him about what is going on across the country. And what is important is for us to convey to Nigerians that the President is empathetic about what is going on in the country. He is concerned about the hardship faced by Nigerians, and that was why he directed the Vice President to call the meeting, for us to reflect on what is going on in the country.
“What is important is that products are available in the country, and we believe that between now and the weekend, there will be availability of products across the length and breadth of the country.
“The price could be high in some other areas, much more higher in some other locations, and in some locations, much more than you know other areas.
“But we believe that by the time there is availability of products across the country, the price itself will stabilize.
“But what is important is that government is not fixing prices. This sector is deregulated, and we believe that with availability of products, the price will find its level. This is important for Nigeria to know.
“The summary is that the President is empathetic about what’s going on. That’s why he directed this meeting. There is enough product in the country to meet the demands of Nigerians. There should be no panic buying. And we also believe that Nigerians need to know that government is not fixing prices. That is what I want to convey to Nigerians.”
Despite the explanations by the minister, the long queues in petrol stations across the country have not reduced, while petrol is sold for between N900 and N1200 per litre.
GIK/APA