National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused President Bola Tinubu of betraying both the union and the Nigerian populace with the recent hike in petrol prices and the resulting scarcity across the country.
Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, expressed his frustration on Tuesday, describing the situation surrounding the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as “traumatic and nightmarish.”
Ajaero recalled that during negotiations on the minimum wage, Tinubu presented a choice: accept N250,000 as minimum wage with a potential increase in petrol prices to between N1,500 and N2,000 per litre, or settle for N70,000 as minimum wage with fuel prices remaining unchanged.
The NLC opted for the latter, rejecting further financial strain on Nigerians.
“We clearly remember President Tinubu’s offer: either accept N250,000 minimum wage with a possible hike in fuel prices, or N70,000 with current fuel rates.
We chose the latter to avoid additional hardship for Nigerians.
“Yet, less than a month later, with the new minimum wage yet to be paid, we face an even worse situation,” Ajaero said.
He criticised the government’s approach, asserting that their assurances were empty and that the situation has worsened.
“We warned the government that their method of handling fuel subsidy issues was flawed, but they dismissed our concerns.
This betrayal aligns with the government’s consistent disregard for the welfare of the people,” Ajaero added.
He also highlighted past assurances regarding a 250% tariff hike, which were promised to be resolved but instead led to even higher rates, affecting both Nigerians and businesses.
The harsh economic policies, he argued, have brought the nation to a low point, leading to widespread protests against hunger and poor governance.
