How Fuel Marketers Deliberately Inflated Petrol Prices To Exploit Nigerians – NLC

How Fuel Marketers Deliberately Inflated Petrol Prices To Exploit Nigerians – NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress has insinuated that fuel marketers are deliberately inflating petrol prices.

The NLC stated that the pump price is significantly higher than the actual market value, while claiming that Nigerians are being exploited.

THECONSCIENCE NG reports that this was disclosed in a communique released following its National Executive Council meeting recently.

The NLC highlighted the economic hardship across the country and implored the government to review its policies, while describing it as anti-people.

The organisation also directed state councils where the new minimum wage is not yet implemented to commence an indefinite strike starting December 1, 2024, in protest against the unaddressed labour issues.

The NLC call underscores its growing concerns over the economic strain on Nigerians and its commitment to holding both fuel marketers and the government accountable for citizens’ welfare.

It will be recalled that The News Daily Nigeria in October, 31 reported that the Organised Labour, in an expression of dismay over the most recent fuel price increase, declared that the hike was putting unbearable pressure on the Nigerian populace.

The congress warned the Federal Government against what it described as a surprised and unexpected reaction of the people to the frequent hike in the price of the product.

Labour equally urged the government to be wary of the silence of Nigerians in the midst of excruciating hardship and misery being inflicted on them, saying even a goat can bite when pushed to the wall.

This is even as an employer group, the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employer’s Federation, CANMPEF, said the petrol price increases, occasioned by subsidy removal, had led to an increase in transportation/logistics, production costs, the decline in household income and purchasing power.

The congress warning came on a day the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, said its members wait for days to load petrol from Dangote Refinery in Lagos, despite paying N40 billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.

It also said Nigerians can afford less for the product if marketers were allowed to buy directly from the refinery.