The Nigeria Labour Congress, under the leadership of Comrade Joe Ajaero has deeply expressed disappointment and betrayal as the federal government clandestinely increases the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
According to a press statement issued by NLC and made available to newsmen on Tuesday, “one of the reasons for accepting N70,000 as national minimum wage was the understanding that the pump price of pms would not be increased even as we knew that N70,000 was not sufficient.
“We recall vividly when Mr President gave us the devil’s alternatives to choose from either N250,000 as minimum wage, subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000 and N70,000, at old pms rates and we opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians.
The statement added that, barely one month after and with government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain. It is both traumatic and nightmarish.
According to NLC, “when we told government that it’s approach to resolving the fuel subsidy contradictions was patently faulty and would not last, it’s front row cheer leaders sneered at us, saying we did not understand basic economics .
“This act of betrayal is consistent with the character of this government. We recall the assurances we were given by the leadership of the National Assembly on the 250% tariff hike, that it had been dealt with and there was no need to openly engage the Minister of Power who was at that meeting. Instead of the promised reversal, the rate has since been jerked up further putting more Nigerians and businesses in jeopardy” added the statement.
The statement further stated that, “the combined effects of government’s ferocious right -wing market policies brought Nigerians and Nigeria to their all-time low and led to the End-Hunger/End Bad Governance protests.
“Rather than make amends, government arrested and hounded into detention some of those who took part and some of those who had nothing to do with these protests, charging them with criminal conspiracy, subversion, treasonable felony, terrorism financing and cyber crime with an intent to overthrow the government of President Tinubu”
“The police and other security agencies have since been on rampage terrorising the citizenry in pursuance of government’s agenda of muzzling lawful dissent. In brazen pursuit, they have defamed and libelled not a few individuals.
NLC further declared that, “the government is on rampage in the face of stifling conditions of living is an understatement but we promise Nigerians that we at the Nigeria Labour Congress will not be cowed into submission. Together with civil society, we brought about this democracy when some of the actors in power today were conspiring with the military on how to perpetuate their hold on political power.
“However, we want to let Nigerians know that the clandestine/surreptitious increase in the pump price of pms is the first among the equally sinister policies government has up its sleeve.
“On our part, we stand resolute with the people and will neither be distracted nor intimidated by the government or its security agencies. We insist that government cannot criminalise protests or basic rights in the domain of the citizenry.
The leadership of NLC finally demand for immediate reversal of the latest increase in the pump of pms across the country; release of all those incarcerated or being prosecuted on the assumption of having participated in the recent protests; halt the indiscriminate arrest and detention of citizens on trumped up charges and reversal of the 250% tariff hike in electricity.
They also requested the Federal Government to put a stop to the hijack of the duties of the Ministry of Labour and Employment; end to policies that engender hunger and insecurity and also put a stop to government’s culture of terror, fear and lying.
“In the coming days, the appropriate organs of the Congress will be meeting to take appropriate decisions which will be made public” the statement concluded.
