Fuel Hike: Labour, CSOs Accuse FG, Operators Of Gang-Up, Exploitation

Organised Labour and Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, have accused the Federal Government and petroleum industry operators of contributing to the mounting hardship faced by Nigerian workers and the masses through successive increases in petroleum product prices.

They also accused the Federal Government of failing in its regulatory oversight.

This came as Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria, IPMAN, attributed the latest increase to repeated price adjustments by the Dangote Refinery.

Reacting to the latest hike in pump prices noticed across petrol situations across the country on Wednesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said the hike was particularly troubling given the relative stability of crude oil prices at the international market and the recent improvement in the exchange-rate environment for local businesses, whose cost factors are denominated in United States dollars.

Faulting the increase, NLC’s Assistant General Secretary, Mr. Chris Onyeka, said: “There is a gang-up against Nigerian masses by the elite, unfortunately with the seeming support of the ruling class.

“The truth is that the price of crude has remained stable, but the exchange-rate regime has become slightly favourable for local businesses whose cost factors are measured in United States dollars.

“The only justification for increasing petroleum product prices can only be seen from the standpoint of capitalist greed, reaping the benefits of extortionate monopoly.

“A few dominant operators have become the major suppliers of petroleum products to the Nigerian market and is always ruthless in exploiting any opportunity to increase prices whenever it presents itself, especially when the regulators in the industry have remained worryingly silent.

“It shows you the dangers of courting monopolies, which countries do everything to destroy but which monsters Nigeria seems to be comfortable in breeding.

“Every Nigerian remembers how much we pay for a bag of cement, a product controlled by the same these dominant operators .

“There will be no respite for Nigeria from the exploitation of a dominant operator until we get our public refineries back on stream.

“We have spoken of these dangers at the beginning, and this will continue if the government does not wake up through its agencies that regulate the sector to rein in the dominant operators’ appetite for exploitation.

“This is coming at the heels of the widely known fact that Nigeria experienced the highest level of petroleum price hike as a result of the Iran-USA/Israeli war globally.

“We must ensure that the stranglehold which these guys have on our downstream sector is removed if government is truly committed to reducing the hardship on workers and masses.

“Unfortunately, it appears that government is not interested in alleviating the sufferings of the people.”

CSOs backs NLC

Corroborating NLC on the allegations of collusion between the Federal Government and oil marketers, Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, insisted that Nigerians deserve better in the downstream sector.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, said government appears more concerned about protecting business interests in the oil sector than addressing the welfare of citizens.

National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, stated this in a telephone interview,  said citizens were paying the price for what he described as the government’s “disproportionate interest” in the comfort of the oil cabal.

“The NLC is spot on. How can you explain why the only oil refinery in Nigeria and those who import petroleum products are selling at almost the same price?”

“This doesn’t make sense. Something is deeply wrong and the excuse that it is a free market is not adding up. The prices are supposed to be competitive and Nigerians ought to enjoy lower prices if things were done properly.”

Consumer protection agencies, others need to protect Nigerians now – CISLAC

Also speaking, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said: “We view the latest increase in the pump price of PMS with serious concern, particularly because Nigerians are already struggling with high transportation costs, food inflation, declining purchasing power and the broader consequences of previous energy-price increases.

“Our position is that Nigerians should not be made permanent victims of a deregulated petroleum sector that socialises every increase in cost while privatising every reduction in cost.

“Government must intervene as a regulator and protector of competition, not necessarily as a price fixer. It should immediately establish whether the present increases are supported by genuine