‘We stand by our statement’ — NLC insists FG agreed not to increase petrol price

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that the federal government agreed not to increase the price of petrol — during discussions over a new minimum wage. 

On Tuesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) increased the pump price of petrol across its retail outlets.

Reacting to the increment in a statement, Joe Ajaero, the NLC president, accused the federal government of betrayal.

The NLC said one of the reasons it accepted the N70,000 minimum wage proposal was because it was told that the pump price of petrol would not be tampered with given economic headwinds.

“We recall vividly when Mr. President gave us the devil’s alternatives to choose from: either N250,000 as minimum wage (subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000) and N70,000 (at old pms rates). We opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians,” Ajaero said.

However, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on print media, had countered the claim, adding that the NLC president was only playing “dirty politics”.

Reacting in a statement signed by Ben Upah, its spokesperson, the NLC said it found the denial by Abdulaziz “amusing”.

“We have since asked ourselves if he is suffering from selective amnesia or attention span deficit,” the statement reads.

“Whatever the matter is with Abdulaziz, we stand by our statement.

“And if Abdulaziz was at those meetings as he claimed, he should be courageous enough to let the world know whether the President gave the labour leaders one hour to meet and resolve to either accept and allow increase or accept N62,000.

“Labour leaders instead chose to meet outside the Villa and report in a week. When they came back, they were blunt and rejected the offer.

“As for Abdulaziz’s side-dig, he should stop insulting the intelligence of Nigerians as they do not need Comrade Joe Ajaero to know they have been taken for a ride and that life has never been this mean, all due to the policies of government.

“We also find it necessary to let Abdulaziz and those who sent him know that Nigerians are entitled to a decent, respectable life free from harassment, intimidation and starvation.

“Government may have all the ultimate weapons of coercion, true power resides with the people. Finally, we are also acutely conscious of the fact that falsehood does not live forever.”