NLC Kicks As FG Announces N86/Litre New Fuel Pump Price

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, December 30th, 2015

By Niyi Adeyi

As the Federal Government (FG) just announced the new pump fuel prices, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on FG to be guided by the rule of law, constitute and convene the board of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in accordance with the law without further delay.
PPPRA Executive Secretary, Farouk Ahmed Tuesday announced that from January 1, 2016, all the NNPC commercial outlets, nationwide will sell PMS at N86 per litre, while other marketers will sell at N86.50k per litre.

NLC which restates its opposition to the FG plan to remove oil subsidy said the approach it advocated fo,r would enable the PPPRA to examine and agree a new pricing template based on the realities of today.

NLC contended that any price “unilaterally determined and announced by the Minister is in violation of the law”.

The Labour Union General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson indicated that NLC opposition to the new fuel pump price and subsidy removal was is consistent with the body’s Central Working Committee (CWC) Emergency Meeting of December 22, 2015.

“We reiterate our directive to our State Councils and Industrial Unions to commence the process of mobilization prior to a meeting of the National Executive Committee to be convened in the New Year” the Labour union Leader stated.

Making reference to the FG plan on new fuel price regime, NLC Scribe said: “The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum first announced that come next year the price of petrol will revert to ₦97 per litre and that subsidy will be phased out.

“Two days, thereafter, he denied this and stated that what he said was that the price will operate within a band of ₦87 to ₦97 and that this did not mean removing the subsidy. The same minister now says that the price of petrol will now be ₦85 in January signifying the deregulation of the sector.

“These vacillations and flip flops are, in our view, designed to confuse Nigerians and pave the way for deregulation of petrol prices through the back door. The fact of the matter is that as long as we continue to depend on imported refined products, deregulation and the abandonment of a subsidy scheme will unleash hardship on Nigerians”.

The body insisted that the determination of the recommended prices of petroleum products is the responsibility PPPRA, stating by law, “the board of PPPRA is made up of stakeholders”.

Dr. Ozo-Eson challenged that none of the contradictory prices mentioned by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu was throwing up is a product of the agency, contending that the board of the PPPRA has not operated for over two years.