Fuel Subsidy: After meeting Tinubu’s delegation, NLC insists on price reversal

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Themeeting between organised labour and officials of the federal government on fuel subsidy ended in a deadlock with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) insisting on the reversal of the price increase.

The meeting was held at the State House in Abuja and was attended by the head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; a presidential aide, Dele Alake, the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, and other officials.

The NLC in a statement after the meeting described the increase in the pump price of petrol as an “ambush” against the Nigerian people.

The NNPCL had on Wednesday directed its outlets nationwide to sell fuel between N480 and N570 per litre; an almost 200 per cent increase from the initial price of below N200.

The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, Garba Deen Muhammad, said the price adjustment was made in line with “market realities”.

The NNPCL made the announcement two days after the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s president during which he said fuel subsidy must be removed based on the arrangements made by his predecessor.

But the NLC faulted the move by the government, adding that the removal of subsidy or fixing of the price should be done after adequate consultation.

“We are worried that the government through the NNPC despite the ongoing meeting of stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to manage the unilateral but unfortunate announcement by the President to withdraw subsidy on petroleum products, went ahead this morning to announce a new regime of prices under a new pricing template,” the labour union said.

“This is an ambush and runs