TUC Warns Senate Over Plan To Hike Fuel Price
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has called on the presidency and well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the senate and those behind the proposed fuel hike to drop the idea.
This was contained in a statement signed by the President of TUC, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaiagama and made available to newsmen Friday.
According to him, The Congress is also against the proposed sale or reduction of the nation’s stakes in some oil and gas assets. We are surprised that Nigerian lawmakers and other political office holders have become numb to our pains, agonies and miseries. This is painful.
TUC stressed that the organised labour over two years, has been calling for a wage increase without any reasonable step taken, while price foodstuff continue to rise.
He went on: ” What we earn when a bag of rice was N8, 000 is still our take home now that a bag of rice is N20, 000. How do we survive? Renowned writer, Williams Sharespeare captures it right when he said, “When beggar die there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
” Nigeria is always broke when workers talk about improved welfare; but rich enough to meet the needs of the greedy politicians. Politicians are never in tune with the realities on ground because of their unchecked material acquisitive instinct. They close their eyes to the increasing number of suicides cases and domestic violence in homes caused by pressure and poverty.
“They seem not to be perturbed by the spate of armed robbery and the unbridled ritual killings by a group called Badoo in Ikorodu, a Lagos suburb. It is shameful that all our leaders can think about this time of all times is fuel hike”, he added.
TUC said, ” Precisely on September 5th, 2016 it was reported that the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi said further increase in fuel pump price beyond 145 Naira would translate to more hardship on Nigerians. He blamed former Group Managing Directors of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations (NNPC) for raising such issue as a solution to the challenge of the sector. We are surprised that the position stated above few months ago no longer holds water.
