JUST IN: NLC, TUC order Buhari to revert petrol price or face indefinite strike action

NLC, TUC have asked President Buhari to reverse the recent increase of
petrol from N86 to N145
– The unions said FG should intensify the prosecution of all those
involved in subsidy scams with a view to recovery and sanctioning of
the culpable
– The unions also attacked the minister of state for petroleum
resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu for speaking from both sides of his mouth


The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) as
well as their civil society allies has given President Muhammadu
Buhari three days to reverse the increase pump price of petrol to N86
per litre or face indefinite strike action.
The federal government had announced the removal of subsidy on petrol
pegging the price of the product to N145 per litre.
Both labour unions made their position known today, Saturday May 14
after a joint meeting emergency meeting in Abuja slammed President
Buhari for refusing to honor his words during electioneering where he
promised not to remove subsidy.
"During the electioneering campaign last year, the Presidential
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ), Muhammadu Buhari,
had promised that, if elected president, he would not remove fuel
subsidy if there was any at all.
After his election, President Muhammadu Buhari had maintained that
there was no subsidy in the petroleum product price regime and that
even if there was, he did not see how its removal would be beneficial
to the ordinary Nigerian, noting that the slightest product price
adjustment often leads to inflationary spiral and unimaginable
suffering for the people" NLC, TUC said.
The unions also attacked the minister of state for petroleum
resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu for speaking from both sides of his mouth.


It urged the Buhari led government to: "Revert to the old price regime
to reduce the suffering of the people and to consider this singular
act of mindless pump price increase as a betrayal of trust;