Workers day: NLC tasks PPM over high price of fuel.

 

BY FRESHGIST 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has set up taskforce of workers on Petroleum Products Monitoring to collaborate with Government Agency to stem the tide of unnecessary price increase and diversion of petroleum products by marketers in the State.

Speaking during an opening address of Workers day celebration 2023 on the theme "Workers Right and Economic Justice" in Uyo on Monday, The NLC Chairperson in Akwa Ibom, Comrade Sunny James  said that labour would not hesitate to picket any filling station found culpable.

 

He decried a situation in the state where a litre of fuel goes between N240 to N270 as against the Federal Government approved as the new pump price N185 per litre.

James added that it was very worrisome that in spite of the state being oil producing state, some marketers even sell up to N400 per litre last two months.

He said that labour would no longer tolerate any such oppression of workers by shylock marketers for continuously inflicting pains on the people

"Henceforth, we shall not hesitate to picket any filling station found culpable,  in unnecessary price increases and diversion of their products meants for the State to unknown location will be resisted

"We hereby insist that petro and other refined products must be sold at government approved price in Akwa Ibom going forward," James said.

The NLC chairperson called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Uyo office to release and make funds available to commercial banks for payment at the counter and in Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to alleviate the suffering of the workers and masses.

He warned that the union would tolerate any more act of impoverishment of workers and the Akwa Ibom people by Point of Sale (POS) agents who derived happiness in making naira to appreciate in the POS market.

James appealed to the Gov Udom Emmanuel to make funds available to assist the Local Government sector to clear all outstanding leave grant to primary school teachers and the local government workers to bring them at par with the workers state, who were expecting the payment of 2023 leave grant.

Gov Udom Emmanuel on his part, assured the NLC that the consequential pensions adjustment of retirees was being worked on, and all outstanding pensions and the allowances of medical doctors on housemanship would be cleared before he vacates office on May 29. 

Emmanuel explained that the disagreement on promotion arrears of 2011 - 2016 for teachers will also be sorted out, added that government was waiting for the data on 7.5 per cent contributory pensions and would begin the process of refund as soon as the required information reaches the government.

"I had a meeting with the pensioners who brought something to my attention. I stand on my promise that we would correct those issues of the pensioners if their joint report will be ready by that Wednesday (I have called a special meeting of exco members) and they promised me that the report would be ready. 

"We have done the 2022 promotion. 2022 promotion has been signed and I would be surprised if the Head of Service has not circulated that because that should go for implementation. 2023 promotion will be done after the appraisal of your performance in 2023.

"So, I can’t start now to promote you, hoping you would perform. You would perform first before I promote you. 

"On the issue of leave grant for primary school teachers, since we took over government and governance, every month, the state has been intervening in helping out at the third tier of government.

"It is not the fault of the local government, it is the structure of our fiscal responsibility as a nation. 

"Whatever we do is a sacrifice on our part that we keep intervening in the local government area. 

"When this was brought to my notice, I said we are going to suspend a lot of projects as a state and intervene immediately. 

"I want to believe that beginning from tomorrow, people will start getting alert,"Emmanuel said.