From Magnus Eze, Abuja
AHEAD of the planned nationwide strike on Wednesday, the organized labour yesterday warned Nigerians to expect more anti-people policies from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Labour raised the alarm that some neo-liberal elements have hijacked the All Progressives Congress, APC Government and vowed that there was no going back if the government failed to revert the pump price of petrol to N86.50 by the end of Tuesday, May 17.
Addressing the press on the outcome of the joint National Executive Councils of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) with their civil society allies, in Abuja, NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba described the subsidy removal and new price of petrol as a betrayal of Buhari’s campaign promise.
It recalled that Buhari had during the electioneering campaign promised that, if elected president, he would not remove fuel subsidy if there was any at all; adding that he did not see how its removal would be beneficial to the ordinary Nigerian, since the slightest product price adjustment often leads to inflationary spiral and unimaginable suffering for the people.
Labour also accused the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu of speaking from both sides of his mouth, noting that “Whereas last year, he had strongly canvassed the removal of “subsidy” in defiance of President Buhari, about a month ago, he claimed the subsidy had been removed through his ingenuity and that Nigeria was saving $1billion from this process”.
It further condemned the directive by government that marketers source dollars from the secondary market, saying that the attendant pressure on the dollar will lead to unimaginable rise in prices of commodities and other services, thus creating further hardship for the people.
“Due to the volatility of the black market, organized labour doubts that government would be able to maintain PMS pump price at N145 per litre were the hike acceptable or justifiable. At the time the PMS pump price was fixed at N145, the exchange rate at the black market was N320 to the Naira. Between Wednesday and today, when the new pump price was announced, the Naira has further crashed against the dollar, first to N340 on Thursday, then N365 on Friday morning and N385 by close of business on Friday, all in 48 hours! At this rate, we believe it will not take long before the Naira becomes entirely useless against the dollar. It is thus morally and economically suicidal to have tied the importation of products to the secondary market exchange rate.
“In view of the fact that in the past five years, there has been no increase in salaries or wages or pensions in the face of devaluations, spiraling inflation and other vagaries of the economy, this product price increase is unrealistic; unaffordable, unacceptable and is thus rejected. From the foregoing, it is evident that the neo-liberal forces in the government have taken over the government and we should expect more inhumane policies which will further degrade the living standard of the average Nigerian. The punitive electricity tariff and PMS product prices may just be teasers,” Labour warned.
Labour also called on government to revert to the pre-45 per cent electricity tariff increase, make meters available to consumers and stop estimated billing; as well as reconstitute the boards of PPPRA and NNPC without further delay and give them their statutory right to function alongside DPR in order to deepen the process of consultation, checks and balances in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
It further urged government to intensify the prosecution of all those involved in subsidy scams with a view to recovering and sanctioning those found culpable.
Labour threatened that it will in league with civil society groups mobilize ordinary and helpless Nigerians to whom they owe the duty of protection to the streets; to shut down all banks, sea and airports, government and private offices as well as markets.