The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Authority (PPPRA) has refused to confirm or refute allegations by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba who claimed during the weekend that the federal government is attempting to hike the prices of petroleum products.
According to the report gathered by Eyes Of Lagos, He was speaking at the opening of NLC’s National Executive Council meeting in Sokoto, stated that the body would not hesitate to protest against such increase.
According to the NLC president, such an act would further increase the sufferings of Nigerians, stressing that congress would mobilise Nigerians to resist any increase.
“While Nigerians are still struggling to cope with the severe hardship imposed on them by the last increase in the price of petroleum products, there are ongoing media campaigns and contradictory statements by the NNPC and government officials on yet another plan to review the template for the pricing of petroleum products,” Wabba stated.
“We are totally opposed to any further increases as we are yet to see the benefits of the last increase even as the current Minimum Wage Act has not been reviewed.
“It would amount to unleashing further hardship on workers and the poor if any further price increase is allowed.
“The government must not take us for granted. Indeed, the patience and perseverance of the entire populace must not be taken for granted, as we will sure mobilise the entire citizenry for mass protests in addition to other legitimate actions to resist any further increase.”
When contacted to comment on the purported price increase the spokesperson of PPPRA, Mr. Lanre Oladele did not pick his calls even as he failed to respond to short text messages sent to his phone.
It will be recalled that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has being import petroleum products in recent times with some persons claiming that the Corporation is subsidizing the products unofficially.
