Osamagbe Imadiyi
The Nigeria Labour Congress has criticized the recent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as gasoline, at the pump, calling it the height of insensitivity towards the general public. In separate interviews with our correspondents on Sunday, senior NLC officials revealed this while oil marketers denied being held accountable for the recent increase in PMS prices across the country.
In a similar vein, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery stated that the $20 billion Lekki-based plant was not the cause of the increase in gasoline prices, but rather the rising cost of crude oil, which is a key ingredient in refined petroleum products.
Recall that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and several depot owners increased the price of gasoline on Friday, causing the pump prices to increase to between N1,050 and N1,150 per liter. Dealers affirmed that PMS prices would keep rising because crude oil, the primary ingredient in fuel production, has been rising recently.
In response, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, contended that in a more sensible setting, workers’, organized private sector’s, and students’ representatives would have been invited to a roundtable to discuss the future course of action and weigh the implications before a decision was made.
In addition, Ndubuaku emphasized that President Bola Tinubu would be wise to follow the example set by former leaders such as Olusegun Obasanjo, who he said convened a roundtable with stakeholders once a month to discuss delicate matters that heavily affected the welfare of workers.
Speaking about the increase in gas prices, Sessi Funmi, the chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Lagos State, called oil marketers “enemies of the masses” and charged them with playing a significant role in Nigeria’s economic problems. Speaking on Sunday, Sessi accused oil marketers of undermining the government’s efforts to stabilize the downstream oil sector by manipulating petroleum prices to take advantage of Nigerians.
