Reversal in planned increment of pump price of fuel by FG, victory for Nigerian workers- NLC

….Unless nation’s refineries are made to work, we will not support subsidy removal-IPMAN

By allcitynews.ng

Unless refineries are made to work maximally, the move to place more burdens on Nigerians would continue to suffer setback and resistance from organised bodies.

Despite the suspension of the planned hike in pump price of petrol, Federal Government is only postponing the implementation day.

Hence, NLC led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba has without mincing words, in every opportunity, not only called on Federal Government to embark on complete turnaround maintenance of the four national refineries but also should set up additional ones in order to be independent from importation of petroleum products which are being controlled by worldwide price adjustments.

The continued resistance by organized labour pointedly claimed that if allowed to sail through “would induce and impose an unprecedented degree of hardship on Nigerian workers, their families and the generality of the populace. The net and multiplier effects of such socio-economic dislocation especially with regards to decent standard of living, productivity and national security are better imagined than experienced.”

The NLC who had already mobilised civil organisations against the planned nationwide protest, went back into consultation with leaderships of affiliates to discuss next line of action when the FG succumbed to national reasons to withdraw from the planned announcement.

Similarly, another major signal which showed FG that Nigerians were tired of carrying another load of fuel hike barely few weeks after increase in electricity tariff was the announcement by Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

IPMAN coming out with resolution warned that unless FG fix refineries, “we will not support subsidy removal”. IPMAN giving condition under which they can support subsidy removal charged government to revive the existing refineries.

IPMAN, major player in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry, therefore appealed to the Federal Government to give priority to the revitalisation of the four refineries in the country ahead of the removal of the subsidy on petroleum products.

President of IPMAN, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, gave the advice on Wednesday, 26 January 2022 in a statement, commended the suspension of the removal of oil subsidy.

In addition, the IPMAN President who reiterated his called for the repair of the four refineries also appealed to the Federal Government to ensure the availability of petroleum products to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited depots across the country.