PRESIDENT of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Waba, has reiterated the recent demand by the NLC called for the reduction in the prices of petroleum products in the country, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted him as saying on Tuesday in Jalingo, capital of Taraba State, while speaking to journalists.
Comrade Mr Wabba was in Jalingo to commiserate with the state’s workers and the family of the late Chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Peter Gambo, who died on Wednesday last week after a brief illness at the Taraba State Specialist Hospital, Jalingo. He was serving his second term as the state NLC chairman, and a pastor with Christ Glorious Army Church, Jalingo, NAN had reported.
Comrade Wabba said the recent increment in the pump price of petrol is a means to exploit Nigerians to enrich oil marketers at the detriment of the Nigerian people. Stressing that the recent pump price increase was not necessary as the price of crude oil in the international market has not gone up for quite some time, Wabba said as an important commodity, the price of petroleum products should not left to market forces or determined by oil marketers.
“Essentially, it is about the exploitation of Nigerians as the Federal Government seems to be protecting the oil marketers rather than defending the citizens,” the NLC President said, adding that the government should not leave control of “this very important commodity” to oil marketers simply because they said that the exchange rate had gone up.
Comrade Wabba called on President Buhari to regulate products’ prices in line with his campaign promise to do so to Nigerians.
“And if you say it is because of the oil price which has also not gone up in the international market, then this is a double tragedy,” he said, as he urged the ruling elite to ensure good governance geared towards addressing inequality and poverty in the country.
“We need good governance in Nigeria; that is why all of us need to come together to reject some of these obnoxious policies that are meant to exploit Nigerians.
“We will continue to engage the government and very soon, we will roll out plans and actions that we will do to ensure that the right things are done,” Comrade Wabba said.
