Petrol Scarcity: NLC blasts Nigerian Government, says scarcity is “cruel conspiracy”

The NLC said it would resist any attempt to officially increase petrol price.

NLC directs Confab delegates to focus on labour issues

The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, on Tuesday accused the Federal Government of engaging in ‘cruel conspiracy’ on the ongoing petrol scarcity across various states and Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

Petrol has been scarce across many states and the Nigerian capital, Abuja, for over two weeks as motorists queue up for hours at filling stations to fuel their vehicles. Many resort to buying from black marketers who sometimes sell at over 100 per cent more than the pump price of petrol.

In its reaction on the petrol scarcity, the Central Working Committee, CWC, of the NLC on Tuesday condemned the current nationwide fuel scarcity.

“It is a cruel conspiracy to impose hardship and trauma on hapless Nigerians with a view to ostensibly increasing fuel prices,” the NLC stated in a communiqué.

The communiqué was issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the CWC; and signed by the NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, and the Acting General-Secretary, Chris Uyot.

The workers said they would resist any attempt to increase the official pump price of petrol.

“Any attempt to further engender hardship on the working people through increase in fuel prices will be resisted by the labour movement,’’ the communiqué stated.

The Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has said the federal government has no plans to increase the pump price of petrol.

The communiqué also quoted the CWC as calling on government to take necessary action immediately to restore full and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products to consumers across the country.

It further called on government to save further loss of lives by devising an imaginative and enduring strategy that could curb the menace of the Boko Haram sect.

National Conference

The NLC also directed its representatives at the upcoming National Conference to ensure that they focused on core labour issues.

The NLC delegates include Mr. Omar, Mr. Uyot, and three Deputy Presidents, Kiri Mohammed, Joe Ajaero and Promise Adewusi.

Others are Issa Aremu, Vice President; Lucy Offiong, Vice President; Ayuba Wabba, National Treasurer; Peter Ozo-Eson, Head of Research; Emma Ugboaja, Head of Administration; and Michael Olukoya, President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers.

The communiqué stated that the CWC endorsed all the reports of the congress to the National Conference.

“After an exhaustive deliberation, we resolved that delegates must work with organisations of like minds to make a robust presentation at the conference,’’ it stated.

The communiqué also announced that the NLC lost its pioneer Head of Organisation and a former Acting General-Secretary, Aloysius Anigbo.

“Anigbo passed on to higher glory on Feb. 26 at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu,’’ it stated.

(NAN)