NLC indicts FG, CBN over Naira, fuel scarcity

By allcitynews.ng

Organised labour, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused Federal Government, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and oil markers of subjecting Nigerians into unexplainable situation whereby they are not able to access their money in banks and inability to get fuel in filling stations.

Describing the lingering New Naira Notes, fuel scarcity, shameful of a nation that is filled with natural and human resources, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba described the situation where a subsidised product of N165 a litre was being sold at between N300 and N650 per litre across the nation, was unacceptable.

Reiterating his anger over the situation Wabba further accused Federal Government and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of subjecting Nigerians into hardship with the lingering scarcity of both old/the newly redesigned naira notes, and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

Wabba made the disclosure on February 1, 2023 during an interview with journalists in Lagos, few minutes after his remark in the just-concluded National Labour Adjudication Forum, organised by Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).

The participants in the NECA first of its kind event, meant to smoothen employers and employees relationship agreed that the programme would help to fast track productivity and industrial harmony. They unanimously agreed that as industrial peace is the master key for development in workplaces, the take home lessons from the event should be applied by employers and employees.

Wabba said: “As far back as 12th of December 2022, we wrote to the CBN Governor of the likely consequence of the action he was about to take in redesigning the naira notes, without consultation and dialogue with stakeholders.

“He took the action unilaterally. We have seen it come to pass, the consequences that we warned him against.”

Moreover he said “Also, we wrote  to Mr. President as NLC to tell him what we envisaged because the entire economy of Nigeria is mostly informal.”

Likewise the NLC helmsman said, “So, people trade that are trading in their small and medium scale businesses are actual being affected by this currency scarcity. By the time you retrieve the old currencies, and the new ones are not available, what you can see is chaos that we are seeing today.”

“When I was coming to Lagos this morning, in every bank, I have seen a very chaotic situation, where people are losing a lot of man-hour. People queue in banks to retrieve their hard-earned money that government cannot give them.”

“It is really a situation that has called for concern for every right thinking Nigerian. It is condemnable. We have condemned the situation. Nigerians are not supposed to be in this type of situation, because we are a country that is blessed in terms of resources.”

Similarly he said “This is why we said the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) Revolution is important for us to change the negative narrative, rather than lamenting or joining them in disruptive tendencies.”

“We want the election to hold because basically I would agree from what is happening, possibly there is also a theory to actually push Nigerians to the wall so that Nigerians will react, and therefore will disrupt the election process. Labour will not be part of that disruptive tendencies. We want the election to hold and be free and fair. We want Nigerians to be able to elect leaders that can change this negative narrative.”

On the scarcity of fuel, Wabba stated: “It is a situation that is really unbecoming. It is very pathetic and condemnable. We have told every Nigerian the only way we can bring in a better society. Our politicians have become immune to strike and protest. But we know there is a ‘PVC Revolution’ going on, where we can elect leaders of our choice that we believe can fix the problems.”

“Basically, at the eve of elections like this, it is really unfortunate that these issues are happening, either deliberately or because they believe that Nigerians cannot exercise their rights to freely vote and get people that they want as their leaders. So, I call on all Nigerians, including workers to use the current election cycle to vote leaders that will change  the negative narrative.”

“The issue of price modulation has failed and the issue of continued importation of fuel as well as complaints that there is subsidy have failed. What is the option? The option is to be refining the product here in Nigeria.”

“This is the position of NLC, and that is why we refused to engage them in this issue of reducing or increasing the price because it has been a viscous cycle  for the past 30 years. What is important is policy change.”

“God has given us this product free of charge. What is lacking is the political will to make the four refineries to work, and also encourage private refineries to come in. These at what will address this problem.”

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