Labour to FG, NNPCL: ‘You cannot unilaterally fix pump price of petrol,’ reveals next line of action

Organised Labour in the country has insisted that the Federal Government and its Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) should return to status quo on petrol subsidy removal, just as it insisted that ‘government cannot unilaterally determine and fix the pump price of petrol.’

The position follows, Wednesday morning’s notice by the NNPCL, through its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba Deen Muhammad, instructing marketers and depots across the country with details of the new pump price per litre of the commodity.

The notice further follows President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural speech in Abuja, Monday, May 29, announcing that his government will no longer continue with subsidization of imported petroleum products, as he declared ‘fuel subsidy is gone.’

The announcement triggered a sharp rise in the pump price of the commodity across petrol stations nationwide, with reports of the product climbing by over 500 per cent increase and the re-emergence of long queues at dispensing outlets across the country, since Monday.

According to NNPCL, Wednesday morning, via a notice instructed all marketers to adjust retail prices for the premium motor spirit to a range between N488 to N555 per liter.

The notice cited management approval of the upward review of NNPC PMS pump price table for Mega/Standard/Leased Stations.

The new table of retail prices for different geopolitical zones of the country to be effected by retail managers was instructed to take immediate effect beginning from May 31, 2023.

According to the new price schedule, petrol will sell highest in Maiduguri and Damaturu at N557 per litre, and N550 per litre for the rest of the North East zone.

Birnin Kebbi will buy petrol at N545 to lead prices in North West zone. Average price in the North Central zone will be N537 per liter except in llorin where it will sell for N515 per litre. Consumers in the South East will buy at an average of N520 per litre.

Apart from Uyo and Yenagoa where petrol will now sell at N515 per litre, the rest of the South South zone will get the product at N511 per litre.

Consumers in Lagos will buy the product at N488 per litre while the rest of the South West zone will get the product at N500 per litre.

However, reacting to the development, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, during a briefing at Labour House, Abuja, Wednesday, May 31, said the congress would not accept that.

According to Ajaero, the fixing of price is not what government could do unilaterally.

The NLC chief argued that the decision to announce a new pump price regime was further against the interest of social dialogue, as he criticised the removal of petrol subsidy before any formal engagement with the organised labour ‘so as to protect the Nigerian workforce and proffer additional solutions.’

Earlier Tuesday, Ajaero, while first reacting to the subsidy removal, rejected Tinubu’s announcement, as he described the development as not well planned, saying Nigerians feel betrayed by the move.

“By his insensitive decision, President Tinubu on his inauguration day brought tears and sorrow to millions of Nigerians instead of hope. He equally devalued the quality of their lives by over 300 per cent and counting,” he said in a statement.

Also reacting, the Trade Union Congress (TUC)) argued the President could not unilaterally take a decision on subsidy removal, saying there was a reason the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari pushed the ‘sensitive issue’ to the new government.

Late Wednesday, a meeting arranged between the Labour unions on one hand, with the NNPCL, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Tinubu and Vice President, Kashim Shettima, ended in deadlock as an agreement could not reached on the matter of subsidy removal.

The meeting which kicked off at about 4 pm on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja lasted for hours, without a concensus.

Representatives of the Federal Government included Dele Alake, spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu; and the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari; Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele; and former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who was also a former President of NLC.

Organised Labour was represented by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, as well as, his counterpart at the TUC, Festus Osifo.

At the meeting, the NLC insisted on the reversal of the announcement by Tinubu and return to status quo.

 According to Ajaero, the status quo returns before any formal engagement with the NLC to protect the Nigerian workforce and proffer additional solutions, as he insisted that the Federal Government did not enter into any conversation even on palliative measures for Nigerians, hence the rejection of the latest announcement.

The union said it had decided to reconvene with its members to determine the next line of action.

However, despite the deadlock, Tinubu’s spokesperson Alake claimed that meeting was ‘robust,’ adding that talks would continue, even as he expressed hope that the parties would reach a reasonable conclusion at its next adjourned meeting.