Naira, fuel scarcity: TUC on alert, youths begin 14-day nationwide protest

• Ask Buhari to sack Emefiele, Kyari, Sylva
• NMDPRA directs filling station to accept PoS

Trade Union Congress (TUC) will begin to mobilise its members, students and civil society allies for appropriate response against current scarcity of naira notes if the situation does not improve by weekend.

President of TUC, Festus Osifo, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking on the unavailability of naira notes and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

Osifo said: “The leadership of TUC shall be monitoring the situation closely within the time frame of our ultimatum and will give further directive, should the situation not improve. All affiliate unions and state councils, civil societies, traders, students our allies, market men and women, religious leaders are, hereby, put on red alert.”

Osifo added: “We are interested in government taking steps that will assuage the suffering of the people. We don’t want to be seen as taking sides on both views that have been expressed so far.

“There are people that are supporting the new naira and those against it. For the record, TUC is not interested in who is right and who is wrong. All we are interested in is that money and PMS are available.”

Also, youths under the auspices of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) have announced plan to embark on a nationwide protest over the fuel and naira scarcity.

The protest is scheduled to hold from today to February 24, 2023.

The youths also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and General Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, for alleged gross incompetence.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, NYCN President, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, said the action would save the nation from further economic meltdown.

He lamented that drivers of the economy have showcased lack of technical knowhow in handling the economy, adding that the country is heading for economic doom, if nothing is done urgently.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has asked filling stations to continue to accept Point of Sale (PoS) option for payment of petroleum products.

General Manager (Corporate Communication and Stakeholders’ Engagement), Kimchi Apollo, warned operators of filling stations against engaging in activities that could disrupt distribution of PMS across the country.

He said: “All retail outlets are directed to ensure the free use of PoS and bank transfers for the sale of petroleum products to alleviate the suffering of customers at this critical time.

“The Authority and security agencies will be at retail outlets to ensure compliance with this directive, and any filling station found violating this directive will be duly sanctioned.”