Fuel price hike: Tinubu betrayed us, says NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused President Bola Tinubu of betraying the Nigerian people following a fresh hike in the price of petrol and the scarcity of the product across the country.

NLC’s president, Joe Ajaero, expressed the union’s frustration on Tuesday, describing the situation as “traumatic and nightmarish” for Nigerians.

Ajaero recalled that during the negotiation of the minimum wage, Tinubu had allegedly told both NLC and TUC leadership during the negotiation of the minimum wage to pick between N250,000 and an increase in price of fuel or accept N70,000 and allow the price of fuel to remain the same.

Ajaero said the unions opted for the latter because it could not accept further punishment on Nigerians.

He said, “We recall vividly when Mr President gave us the devil’s alternatives to choose from: either N250,000 as minimum wage (subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000) and N70,000 (at old pms rates), we opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians.

“But here we are, barely one month after and with government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain. It is both traumatic and nightmarish.

“Yet, when we told government that it’s approach to resolving the fuel subsidy contradictions was patently faulty and would not last, it’s front row cheer leaders sneered at us, saying we did not understand basic economics.

“But if truth be told, this act of betrayal is consistent with the character of this government. We recall the assurances we were given by the leadership of the National Assembly on the 250% tariff hike, that it had been dealt with and there was no need to openly engage the Minister of Power who was at that meeting.

“Instead of the promised reversal, the rate has since been jerked up further putting more Nigerians and businesses in jeopardy. The combined effects of government’s ferocious right -wing market policies brought Nigerians and Nigeria to their all-time low and led to the End-Hunger/End Bad Governance protests.”