[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has categorically rejected the recently proposed palliatives package, including the provision of N8, 000 (eight thousand naira only) to 12 million poor households across the country for a period of six months and also resolved to pull out of the various committees on fuel subsidy palliatives, even as it has equally vowed to resist any further increase of the product.
This strong position, coming in the wake of another astronomical spike in the petrol pump price which has rising to over N600, as at today, was contained in a Release signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero and titled: ‘THE PROPOSED PALLIATIVES, CASH TRANSFERS, ROBS THE POOR AND PAYS THE RICH: WE REJECT IT, in which the Labour movement insists that it has restrained itself and allowed it’s members to be in some palliatives committees, to avoid any misinterpretation from the new government in power, but it appears workers patience are being taken for granted.
The NLC Statement, which describes the new regime of pump price of fuel announced by the NNPC, as provocative and designed to worsen the poverty level and hardship Nigeria are passing through, further added that since June 19, 2023, when it was agreed to set up committees with a National Steering Committee, government is yet to make any move to inaugurate the committees, but news flying around of further hike in pump price.
The NLC warns that the current government must watch clearly and observe that the impunity displayed by the immediate past government, is not allowed to rare its ugly head, and that the workers are fully ready to stop any anti-people policy.On the proposed N8000 palliatives to 12 million families, the Labour movement says it stands rejected as it is another charade of the Nigerian ruling class to deceive the poor masses.
Labour argues that it does not have confidence on how the data of the 12 million poor family was arrived at, calling on Nigerians to reject it as it is most likely to go the way of the homegrown school feeding programme and the covid-19 palliative, which were more or less conduit pipes for corruption.
The Press statement reads in part:
“We woke up this morning (Tuesday) to the news that NNPCL has increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the hitherto draconian N587/liter to N617/litre.
“This is despite the suffering and hardship that Nigerians have had to go through as a result of the original hike on May 29, as part of President Tinubu’s inaugural gift to Nigerians.
“An 18 percent increase in the price of fuel at this time of great difficulties for our people is sadistic and totally unacceptable.
“The NLC considers this most insensitive and horrendous and smirks of a triumphalism by this government against the masses of this country.
“We strongly condemn this latest unilateral increase and warn the government to desist from trying the patience of Nigerians.
“What the government has done is capable of pushing Nigerian people to the edge of the precipice and can trigger a raging fire that may overwhelm whatsoever mechanisms the government thinks it has put in place as safeguards.”
