In an effort to checkmate the Federal Government in its desire to increase the pump price of petroleum products come June, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has fixed a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) for Thursday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Deputy-General Secretary of NLC, Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that the meeting was being summoned to prepare ground for the Federal Government-planned stakeholders summit on fuel supply scheduled for March.
He said the meeting would take place with representatives of all its affiliate unions in attendance.
�The congress will address the issue of petroleum product price and reach a common position to be presented to government,� he said.
Sources at the Labour House yesterday said NLC would be seeking to dust-up the recommendations of the Senator Ibrahim Mantu-led committee established by the former president Olusegun Obasanjo administration to study the fuel supply crisis and proffer some palliative measures.
It said Labour would be hinging its argument on the fact that government was yet to fully rehabilitate the refineries and restore them to normal operations as recommended by the Mantu report.
In a letter written to the Federal Government opposing any plan to increase fuel price further, the NLC President, Mr. Abdulwahed Ibrahim Omar, had called on the Yar�Adua administration to drop the idea and to �re-assure Labour and Nigerians of its continuing commitment to the process of engagement to guarantee price stability�.
However, the Minister of Energy, Odem Ajomogobia, at a recent meeting with Labour had said government intended to convene a broad-based stakeholders meeting to discuss the protracted fuel price issue with a view to finding a lasting solution for a sustainable supply of petroleum products in the country.
Ajumogobia had said the time had come to do something concrete to bring about a lasting solution on petroleum pricing and deregulation.
�It is time for us to put this to bed once and for all and not have this continuous conflict which does not serve anybody�s interest.
�Government would like some sort of sustainability and stability in this sector. It is good for business; good for commerce; it is good for everybody; for us to be able to plan. But you cannot plan if you do not know what a very important index for the economy will be in the future,� he had said.
Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Mr. Peter Esele, who spoke to THISDAY, said though government had given a firm assurance that there would be no increase in fuel price till June, the union felt the status quo should be maintained for the rest of the year.
�Government gave a firm assurance that it would not increase fuel price till June and agreed to organise stakeholders conference in March to decide on what happens after June. We are of the opinion that the fuel price should remain at current price or not as well as other possible measures to be undertaken in order to contain the volatility of petroleum price.
�But we want to persuade government to see reason with us and allow the existing price structure to continue beyond June,� he said.
According to Esele, �Labour is pushing for the sustenance of the present price level even after June because we believe that there is enough ground to maintain the current price structure for the rest of the year.�
Jan222008