The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has urged the Federal Government to introduce reasonable wage awards for workers in response to the rising cost of petrol and its impact on the cost of living.
Ajaero, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed concern over the surge in petrol prices across the country, noting that the pump price had risen to about N1,430 per litre in some major urban centres, while prices were higher in less accessible areas.
He said the development had inflicted significant pressure on workers’ wages and worsened the living conditions of Nigerians.
According to him, increases in transportation costs inevitably trigger further rises in the prices of essential goods and services, including food, school fees, rent and tariffs.
“These new costs continue to inflict or deepen poverty among the populace, stressing the quality of life to the limits,” he said.
Ajaero said the latest price increase came at a time when government pressure on petroleum marketers to reduce pump prices in line with crude oil prices in the international market was beginning to yield results.
He acknowledged that the latest surge was linked to the resurgence of conflict in the Gulf but argued that Nigeria, as an oil-producing country with local refining capacity, should have measures in place to cushion citizens from external shocks.
The NLC president called on the Federal Government to immediately provide reasonable wage awards to workers, ensure that sufficient crude oil is sold in naira to local refineries and expand the country’s strategic petroleum storage capacity.
He said the measures would help create jobs, generate economic value and strengthen the country’s response to energy emergencies and security challenges.
Ajaero also defended government intervention to cushion citizens from the impact of rising energy costs, saying subsidies or other forms of support could be justified during emergency situations.
“There is nothing wrong with government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergency situations like this,” he said.
He further argued that the government had additional revenue from the international crude oil market, estimated at between $35 and $40 per barrel above the benchmark used in the national budget.
According to him, the additional revenue could amount to trillions of naira monthly and should be viewed as a windfall that could support measures to protect Nigerians from the impact of rising petrol prices.
Ajaero also criticised the continued importation of crude oil by local refineries, describing the situation as unreasonable and contrary to the purpose of developing domestic refining capacity.
He urged the government to address the situation and ensure that locally available crude is supplied to Nigerian refineries.
The NLC president warned that the government could not afford to allow marketers to impose additional hardship on citizens under the guise of deregulation.
He said labour had a responsibility to speak out and take appropriate action to protect workers and Nigerians from worsening economic hardship.
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