By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Nigeria Labour Congress has refused increase of petrol pump price, saying that there are conditions that should be addressed before the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation will adjust the pump price.
The Deputy President, NLC, Joe Ajaero, while speaking to the Punch on Tuesday, said that labour unions made this clear to the Federal Government during the last meeting on the petrol price matter.
Ajaero stated that one of the conditions to be met is “that the oil firm must fix the country’s refineries in order to cut down on the importation of refined petroleum products by NNPC into Nigeria.”
Ajaero disclosed this while reacting to statements by NNPC that the corporation would only adjust petrol price after the Federal Government had concluded negotiations with labour.
Recall that NNPC’s spokesperson, Kennie Obateru, had stated on Monday that the price of petrol was not going to be adjusted despite the fluctuations in global crude oil prices until the Federal Government, labour and other stakeholders agree on pricing issues.
But when contacted and asked what was delaying the meeting between labour and government on the petrol price matter, Ajaero said, “After our last meeting with them, which was both on electricity tariff and petrol price, we were clear about it and we said go and do some of the stated items and that the refineries must work.
“That is the situation. So if they are talking of endless meeting and that they are meeting with us in view of increasing the pump price of petroleum products when the refineries are not working, then it won’t work.”
He added, “We were clear about it. You must have listened to the president of the congress that we can’t drive the sector based on imports. We are not going to base the pump price of petroleum products on imports. Our refineries must work.
“So ask yourself, have they done that? So what is the essence of saying continuously that we are meeting when our position is clear to them?”
The NLC official argued that the government was still consulting with its stakeholders, stressing that the issues had yet to be resolved.