The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said that the federal government’s proposed plan to remove fuel subsidy and give N5,000 grant to poor Nigerians is a plan to subject Nigerians to everlasting suffering.
The FG had said that it will remove fuel subsidy by June, 2022. Adding, the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari had stated that fuel pump price may sell from 320 to 340 from February, 2022.
Reacting on Wednesday, the NLC through its President, Ayuba Wabba, said the planned hike in pump price is a perfect recipe for an aggravated pile of hyper-inflation and increment in prices of goods and services.
The NLC added that the plan will further devalue the naira, degenerate the already risen insecurity in the country and could lead to Nigerians revolting.
In a statement titled; ‘Nigerian workers refuse to take the bait,” read;
“The contemplation by government to increase the price of petrol by more than 200 per cent is a perfect recipe for an aggravated pile of hyper-inflation and astronomical increase in the price of goods and services.
“This will open a wide door to unintended social consequences such as degeneration of the current insecurity crises and possibly citizens’ revolt. This is not an outcome that any sane Nigeria wishes for.”
“We wish to reiterate our persuasion that the only benefit of deregulation based on import-driven model is that Nigerian consumers will infinitely continue to pay high prices for refined petroleum products.
“This situation will definitely be compounded by the astronomical devaluation of the naira which currently goes for N560 to US dollars in the parallel market. Thus, any attempt to compare the price of petrol in Nigeria to other countries would be set on a faulty premise as it would be akin to comparing apples to mangoes.”
“We wish to warn that the bait by government to pay 40 million Nigerians N5,000 as palliative to cushion the effect of astronomical increase in the price of petrol is comical, to say the least.
“The total amount involved in this queer initiative is far more than the money government claims to spend currently on fuel subsidy. Apart from our concerns on the transparency of the disbursement given previous experiences with such schemes, we are wondering if government is not trying to rob Nigerians to pay Nigerians? Why pay me N5000 and then subject me to perpetual suffering
“Clearly, government thoughts on the so-called removal of fuel subsidy is cloudy and appears to be a “penny wise-pound foolish” gamble. It is clear that the palliative offered by government will not cure the cancer that will befall the mass of our people who suffer the double jeopardy of hype-inflation while their salaries remain fixed. NLC said.
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