The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has indicted the Federal Government of abandoning Nigerians at the mercy of private depot owners as another round of petrol scarcity has crippled many businesses in the country.
A statement signed by TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, and Ag. Secretary General, Comrade Simeso Amachree, accuse the depot owners who sell the product above the ex-depot price of N76.50 per litre.
The Union said “it is bad enough that the N18, 000 national minimum wage has become meaningless in the face of the prevailing economic realities, but it is “worse that almost on a monthly basis Nigerians are made to spend more money on transport fare and purchase of fuel at an exorbitant prices.”
For a country that is the sixth largest oil producer the world, TUC says it does not make sense telling the suffering masses about any dislocation in the supply chain of the product.
And in order to protect the driver, barber, hair dresser and other ordinary Nigerians who want to daily put food on the table for the family, TUC says “we may embark on mass protests if the scarcity goes on.”
The rest of the statement reads: “It is instructive to note that the price modulation policy of the federal government is not working. For us it is simply deregulations. And deregulation gives the private sector an edge in price determination. And the private sector is all about profit making, which is exactly what we are experiencing now. They hoard and sell selectively to consumers.
“The hardship Nigerians are going through now is very serious. Often we have made our positions known on this very issue. We have asked government to resolve crisis in the petroleum sector to stop the importation of refined petroleum products and possibly build more functional refineries. The Congress is worried why the masses had to always be at the receiving end. Business had been brought to a standstill because of lack of fuel to run operations as most businesses rely on generating sets for electricity.
“May we use this opportunity to charge the Federal Government to draw up a blueprint of its policies and firmly work along? Truly, we have forex challenge but we make bold to say that it can be solved if the government and a few cabal want it resolved. The idea of the change mantra the way we see it should be to free the country from the clutches of a few that are manipulating the system, which of course has brought the country to its knee.
“The pains we bear today are needless if the people in authority are serious and wish to do something positive about it.”
