‘We stand by our statement’ — NLC insists FG agreed not to increase petrol price

‘We stand by our statement’ — NLC insists FG agreed not to increase petrol price

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that the
federal government agreed not to increase the price of petrol — during
discussions over a new minimum wage.

 

On Tuesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)
increased the pump price of petrol across its retail outlets.

 

Reacting to the increment in a statement, Joe Ajaero, the
NLC president, accused the federal government of betrayal.

 

The NLC said one of the reasons it accepted the N70,000
minimum wage proposal was because it was told that the pump price of petrol
would not be tampered with given economic headwinds.

 

 “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). We opted for the latter because we
could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians,” Ajaero
said.

 

However, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, special assistant to President
Bola Tinubu on print media, had countered the claim, adding that the NLC
president was only playing “dirty politics”.

 

Reacting in a statement signed by Ben Upah, its spokesperson,
the NLC said it found the denial by Abdulaziz “amusing”.

 

 “We have since asked
ourselves if he is suffering from selective amnesia or attention span deficit,”
the statement reads.

 

“Whatever the matter is with Abdulaziz, we stand by our
statement.

 

“And if Abdulaziz was at those meetings as he claimed, he
should be courageous enough to let the world know whether the President gave
the labour leaders one hour to meet and resolve to either accept and allow
increase or accept N62,000.

 

“Labour leaders instead chose to meet outside the Villa and
report in a week. When they came back, they were blunt and rejected the offer.

 

 “As for Abdulaziz’s
side-dig, he should stop insulting the intelligence of Nigerians as they do not
need Comrade Joe Ajaero to know they have been taken for a ride and that life
has never been this mean, all due to the policies of government.

 

“We also find it necessary to let Abdulaziz and those who
sent him know that Nigerians are entitled to a decent, respectable life free
from harassment, intimidation and starvation.

 

“Government may have all the ultimate weapons of coercion,
true power resides with the people. Finally, we are also acutely conscious of the
fact that falsehood does not live forever.”

 

Source: ‘We stand by our statement’ — NLC insists FG agreed not to increase petrol price

 - NigerianEye
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