The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have criticized President Bola Tinubu for the continued increase in the price of petrol.
In a statement released by its National President, Joe Ajaero, the NLC accused the Tinubu government of taking from the poor to pay the rich and unleashing suffering, hardship, and sorrow on Nigerians.
“The proposal to pay N8,000 to each of the so-called 12 million poorest Nigerian households for a period of six months insults our collective intelligence and makes a mockery of our patience and abiding faith in social dialogue which the government may have alluded to albeit pretentiously,” Mr. Ajaero stated.
“Further proposal to pay National Assembly members the sum of N70 billion and the Judiciary N36 billion is the most insensitive, reckless, and brazen diversion of our collective patrimony into the pockets of public officers whose sworn responsibility it is to protect our nation’s treasury,” he added.
The Trade Union Congress also criticised the federal government for the hike in petrol price.
The TUC’s National Vice President, Tommy Etim, said the country was headed toward economic chaos.
“We are entering one chance. It is unfortunate that the government is insensitive to the plight of the commoners and the poorest of the poor. You can see that fuel, which is essential to the movement of goods and services, including informal businesses, has continued to fluctuate in price,” he said.
The criticism is coming as fuel prices soared this week to more than N600 a liter across Nigeria.
The NNPC Mega Stations in the Federal Capital Territory were selling at N617 Wednesday morning, apart from the one at Shafa close to Airport Road that sold for N615.
Azman Fuel Stations sold for N620, Eterna and Rain Oil sold for N617, while it was N615 at the Total Fuel Station by NNPC Towers and N611 at Optimal Energy Station at NYSC Junction.
Fuel stations in Lagos State sold for between N617 and N700 a liter, and the ones in Port Harcourt, Rivers State adjusted their pumps to between N591 and N615.
Petrol skyrocketed in Ondo State to between N617 and N630 a liter.
The NNPC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority say market forces are responsible for the increase in petrol prices.
