The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have called on the federal government to put to end fuel price hike of up to N240 in the country.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed the Presidents of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and TUC, Comrade Festus Osifo made available to the press on Saturday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the leadership of the both unions are seriously bewildered and disturbed by the persistent shortage and uncontrollable prices that players in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry are meting out ‘to Nigerians.
It decried the persistent shortages of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol in the country has become a source of pain to the Nigerian people, adding that ihas led not just to long avoidable queues, adulteration of the product by the unscrupulous elements; exploitation of the consumers, turning fuel stations to traffic menace, but that all these also have tragic consequences for the Nigerian people and debilitating effects on the health of the economy which itself is not in a good state.
The leadership revealed that they were reliably informed that the shortage has been deliberately fostered by players in the downstream sector in other to hike the price far above the government approved threshold, adding that it was an added problem when non-state actors begin to arrogate to themselves the power to determine the price of a liter of fuel far above the rate pegged by government in the current subsidy regime.
