The Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) has said President Muhammadu Buhari will burn the country if his administration implements its decision to scrap fuel subsidies.
Benson Upah, a spokesman for the NLC, revealed this in response to the recent pause in subsidy cuts on Thursday in Abuja.
“Because the path they want to take at the expense of ordinary Nigerians will set the country on fire. There will be an immediate response. Of course, we would be happy to coordinate these responses. “Our advice is that they should learn from the article we gave them about the so-called fuel subsidy abolition,” the NLC official said.
“The answer cannot be further than domestic production,” Upah added.
However, he urged the Nigerian government to repair existing refineries or build new ones instead of importing refined petroleum products.
On the other hand, General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nuhu Toro, said: “Despite coming late, the decision to suspend the Federal Government’s decision to abolish fuel subsidies shows the fact that Such tough economic policy should have been the product of a social dialogue that was not carried out.
Toro added that the government should rethink its decision to remove fuel subsidies and recommend refurbishing existing refineries to produce petroleum products locally in the country.
“First, it will create jobs, provide petroleum products to consumers, and potentially reduce product costs. It will also secure foreign direct investment and make Nigeria a better place,” explained TUC Secretary General.
He went on to express his frustration with the country’s refineries.
“We are confused that our refineries are not working and we have repeatedly questioned why the refineries are not working. So it takes deliberate effort on the part of the new government to make sure our refineries are up and running.
“Any money that they claim is for deregulation could actually be used to get our refineries up and running,” Toro said. He also pointed out that the decision to amend the plan to eliminate fuel subsidies vindicated the people of Nigeria and called on the new government to promote social dialogue on issues affecting the people.
“Policies should not be written down overnight and stuck in people’s throats. Nigeria belongs to all of us.
“We are all essential stakeholders and must be part of the decision-making and enforcement body to ensure that our country moves forward,” he said.
