NLC, ACN accusses and warns FG of plotting to increase Fuel price

The Nigeria Labour Congress has accused the Federal Government of surreptitious moves to increase the pump price of petroleum products in the country.

Representatives of the NLC on Friday warned the FG against the move vowing to resist it. They said that any move to increase the fuel pump price would aggravate the hardship being suffered by Nigerians, saying it is unacceptable. The acting General Secretary of the NLC, Olusegun Rotimi, said in a statement that the NLC was prepared to call out Nigerians to resist any price increase, which he noted was inimical to the economic wellbeing of Nigerians.

The NLC said, “In several fuel stations across the country, prices of petrol in particular are higher than the official pump price without any control by government.“The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, under the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, is responsible for inspection and control of fuel stations and has not acted in anyway against unilateral price increases by marketers.

“For us, this indicates a clear conspiracy on the part of government to force another price hike on Nigerians. This will sure deepen the economic hardships the current official price has unleashed on our people.

“The NLC will never accept any further price increase. And we will mobilise workers and their allies against any such increase.”

Similarly, the Action Congress of Nigeria has accused the FG of raising the price of petrol through the back door by creating artificial scarcity, thus making Nigerians to pay more than the official price.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Friday, the party said that after the government’s anti-people policy of raising the price of petrol was rejected earlier this year, it had resorted to “underhand tactics” to increase the price.

It said since the orchestrated scarcity started several months ago, Nigerians have been paying between N110 to N130 per litre in Lagos at filling stations and higher than that at the black market. The ACN said, “For example, in the capital city of Abuja, 10 litres of fuel goes for 2,500 at the black market, representing 250 naira per litre. For motorists who are unable to withstand the painfully-long queues in the few filling stations selling the product, this is the only way to keep their vehicles running. Source