The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) rose from its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Tuesday, with a call to President Umaru Yar�Adua not to succumb to any pressure towards increasing pump price of petrol, as such would meet stiff opposition from the Nigerian workers.
The meeting among other resolutions in the three-page communique signed by the President of the Congress, Comrade Abdulwaheed Umar and General Secretary, Comrade John Udah, stressed that it would be suicidal for the President to yield to the pressure of those it described as �boot-lickers� and �agents of destabilisation� to jerk up pump prices of petroleum products, as the Nigerian workers would not hesitate to fight against such increase.
A competent source within the council told Daily Independent that the organised labour was worried that since the last government and Nigerians engaged one another over increase in the pump price of petrol and some promises by government to partner with the organised workers in finding a lasting solution to the problem, nothing has been heard from the government since then.
The workers� body said it learnt from a competent source within government circles that plan was underway towards increasing pump prices of fuel products before the end of this quarter.
“We have been told that they want to increase fuel price, we have our intelligence network, whether this is true or false, we want to make it clear that we shall not hesitate to call out workers and Nigerians for protest against such plot to further impoverish Nigerians,” it read. The congress also commended the judiciary for what it described as a wonderful job aimed at saving the nation�s democracy and giving it a strong footing.
After the last hike on petroleum products by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the eve of his departure, President Yar�Adua promised to set up two committees that would look into the recurring problem, including ways at reducing the litre price of petrol to N70.00.
Comrade Odah, in a telephone interview, told Daily Independent that the entire congress was shocked at the nonchalant attitude of the government towards the issue. “I think you may have to ask the government why they have decided to ignore the labour on the issue of those committees because we have written to them on the need to form the committees, so that we can sit down and find a lasting solution to the issue of fuel price hike, but they keep ignoring our request,” he said.
Two committees were supposed to be set-up: one was supposed to be the presidential committee on right pricing of petrol, while the other one was to find out the state of the nation�s refineries whether they could still be repaired or new ones should be built for the nation.