Labour: We’ll Insist on Transparency, Local Refining Before Petrol Subsidy Removal

•Kwara Governor: N30,000 no longer living wage

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Ilorin

The organised labour movement in the country under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has again said it would resist any attempt to remove subsidy on petrol without the federal government first restoring local refineries to functional state.

It expressed its resolve to mobilise workers ahead of the 2023 general election to vote for candidates ready to implement economic and social policies that would promote the welfare of its members.

NLC’s position came just as the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq said the current N30,000 national minimum wage was no longer a living wage due to the inflationary trend.

Both the governor and Wabba spoke yesterday, at the opening ceremony of the 18th edition of NLC Harmattan School holding at the Michael Imodu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Speaking on the contentious issue of the removal of fuel subsidy by government, the President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba said organised labour maintains its position on the opposition of the removal of subsidy on imported petroleum products, saying it would multiply the hardship being faced by Nigerians.

Against the backdrop of re-emergence of long fuel queues in the country’s major cities, Wabba said the labour movement believes that the only way the fuel subsidy crisis to be addressed in a sustainable manner was for the government to fix local refineries.

“What do you even call subsidy? subsidy is inefficiency, our inefficiency or inability to refine products. That is what we call subsidy. If we are refining, we should not be talking about subsidy and why can’t we refine?

“We said we will not discuss anything subsidy. What they have told us is that the refineries will be fixed by 2023 and It will start production. So once we start production, we can now come to the table and see what you call subsidy,” he said.

Wabba said although there was nothing bad about petrol subsidy, but in Nigeria’s case, it had been shrouded in secrecy and lack of transparency.

He stressed that the consumption of petrol and all details about were still shrouded in secrecy, which according to him was typical of a capitalist economy.

He noted that in a socialist economy, the focus is how to make the people happy and stress is removed from the people.

Giving example of the deregulation of diesel supply in the country, Wabba said the cost of diesel has gone up astronomically since the policy was implemented.

“Is same example you want to set? All Nigerians should reflect on it. What they call subsidy removal is just increasing the price which has happened in the case of subsidy on kerosene and diesel. We have removed the subsequent subsidy on diesel and kerosene.

How much is diesel today, it is almost N850 to N860, per liter.

“Is that the same thing we want to apply to petrol? How many people can afford it? These are the very important questions that we need to interrogate. And this is what Labour has been interrogating.

“So, we are not running away from and we have never run away or shy away from discussing the issue of subsidy. Whether there is or not, we can discuss it,” he said.

Wabba said the NLC was aware that part of the reason for current fuel scarcity was the challenge of high cost of diesel affecting owners of petrol tankers used to transport petrol.

“But the bottom line is that we will resist any price increase in the name of removal of subsidy. Let us look at the issue of subsidy. What do we say is the issue of subsidy? Does it only mean price increase?

“Diesel adulteration is still there. Adulteration is more now in the case of diesel which has been fully deregulated, and the prices are not in the reach of anybody,” he said.

Speaking in the same vein, the NLC General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja described the issue of petrol subsidy as an anathema for labour movement and its members, adding that no worker would be happy to cast his or her vote for any candidates who goes against labour’s stand on removal of subsidy.

According to Ugboaja, the NLC was in support of removal of fuel subsidy to the extent that the government would ensure local production and supply of the product so that Nigerians would reap its rewards in terms of increase in jobs and revenue.

In his speech, Kwara State governor who spoke to journalists at the commencement of the programme said that current minimum wage of N30,000 has lost value and could no longer be considered as a living wage for any worker in the country.

On the issue payment of minimum wage, the governor said his administration had started the implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage which was not approved by the previous administration.

“Since our assumption of office, we not only paid the minimum wage but we have ensured that workers are paid salaries as and when due,” he said.

He, however, expressed the hope that the federal government would undertake a review of the minimum wage next so as to cushion the harsh effects of inflation.

“It is important that every worker earns a living wage. As you are aware that with the inflationary trend, even N30,000 minimum wage is not enough and even at that amount, government is still taking part of it as taxes.

“The challenge for my government is to engage more people to work and minimum wage is something I continue to work on. I hope and strong believe that before the end of next year, the minimum wage will go up.”

The governor also said it was very important for labour issues to be in the front burner of discussions at this time of political campaigns.

As the parties jostle for support of the electorates, Abdulrazaq said Nigerians would like to hold the candidates accountable to the words and promises if they win the election.

Earlier in his presentation, the Director General of the Labour Institute, Isah Aremu said knowledge acquisition on handling of labour issues especially for union leaders was key to industrial harmony in the country.

He lamented that the neglect of 40-year old, which he said had been grossly underfunded despite its key role in labour education and capacity building for workers.