NLC, TUC Issued Joint Communique, Orders Buhari To Reverse Pump Price In 3 Days Or Face Indefinite Strike

The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has ordered the federal government to revert to the original price of petrol by Tuesday next week or face indefinite strike from workers. Addressing the press after it's National Working Committee meeting in Abuja today, NLC leaders also urged and asks Nigerians to stockpile food ahead of the protest against fuel subsidy removal.

JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE EMERGENCY MEETINGS OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCILS OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS, THE TRADE UNION CONGRESS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS HELD ON FRIDAY MAY 13, 2016

The emergency meeting debated extensively the implications of government's unilateral increase in prices of petroleum products, noting government's disinclination for consultation on issues of public interest and its obsession with protecting product marketers at the expense of the Nigerian public. The meeting expressed concern about government's neo-liberal policies which it considered a betrayal of its electioneering promises and observed as follows:

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu says Petrol price’ll go down in six months

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has said Nigerians will be amazed at what will become of the price of Premium Motor Spirit in the next six months.

The Federal Government had on Wednesday announced the removal of fuel subsidy, with a new petrol price band of N135 to N145 per litre, up from N86 and N86.50.

The development has been greeted with mixed reactions, with labour vowing to protest against it.

FG may increase petrol price soon — Marketers

The Federal Government may soon effect an upward review in the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, oil marketers have said, attributing this to the recent increase in the cost of crude oil at the international market.

Crude oil price had fallen below $30 per barrel earlier this year, but as of May 2, 2016, the commodity’s cost rose to $45.83, according to data obtained from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Saturday in Abuja.

The oil marketers also told our correspondent that the current challenge they faced in the industry was how to sustain the improvement in the supply of petrol across the country.

Tension at NNPC as Kachikwu disobeys President Buhari

Tension is now high at NNPC Towers, the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), with the workers drawing the battle-line with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, over the extension of retirement dates for two NNPC directors sacked last year.

A report this morning in Daily Trust said Kachikwu’s action is a direct contradiction of a clear directive from President Muhammadu Buhari, who doubles as the Minister for Petroleum Resources.

According to the report, following a request by Dr. Kachikwu to President Buhari to reconstitute the Executive Management of NNPC, the President in August 2015 approved, among other things, the disengagement of all the eight NNPC Group Executive Directors (GEDs).