Hike In Pump Price Will Get Nigerians Poorer, NLC Warns FG
. Asks Govt To Reverse Increment
By Frederick Wright
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to reverse the hike in pump price, stating that the decision would further deepen poverty in the country.
The President, NLC, Joe Ajaero, in his reaction to the pump price hike yesterday said: “It will further deepen poverty as production capacities dip, more jobs lost with multidimensional negative effects”
Ajaero said: “We are dismayed by the latest increase in the pump price of petrol. It looks like the only thing this government is known for is increase in the pump price of petrol without commensurate capacity of Nigerians or mitigatory measures.
Even following the logic of market forces , we find it an aberration that a private company (NNPC) is the one fixing prices and projecting itself as a hegemonic monopoly.
“We challenge the government to go to the drawing board and present us with a blueprint for an inclusive economic growth and national development instead of this spasmodic ad hocism and palliative policy.
“It needs no stating the fact that the latest wave of increase has grossly altered the calculations of Nigerians once again at a time they were reluctantly coming to terms with their new realities.
“It will further deepen poverty as production capacities dip, more jobs lost with multidimensional negative effects.
“In light of this, we urge the government to immediately reverse this rate hike as previous increases did not produce any good result. People only got poorer.
“But more fundamentally, the government should be bold enough to tell Nigerians in advance the destination it wants to take the country,” he stated.
