The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday raised alarm that marketers of petroleum prod-ucts are yet to comply with the federal government’s directives on reduction in the pump prices of petroleum products.
President of the NLC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who raised the alarm in a statement in Abuja, said even the reduction in the price of kerosene which President Olusegun Obasanjo specifically singled out for his intervention on the recent increase, is not being observed by the marketers throughout the country.
“It is obvious to us that this unfortunate situation continues to persist because of the deep-rooted vested interests that have captured the petroleum industry in our country. The reduced prices are generally being flouted across the country and government does nothing about it. “The downstream sector today is characterised by all manners of arbitrariness and favouritism. Though charges continue to be imposed on consumers by the NNPC even when pipeline supply of products to depots across the country has virtually ceased for years.
“Major marketers continue to be granted financing charge on the pricing template, even when products are supplied to them on credit and dealers lift products from them on the basis of advance payment. Favoured independent marketers continue to act as middlemen between the NNPC and other independent marketers, with the favoured ones earning a premium of as much as N3 per litre funnelled through them,” the NLC said.
The NLC said that the only way out of the present crisis in petroleum products pricing is meaningful dial-ogue involving all stakeholders on how to ensure stable and affordable prices of these products.
The congress said Nigerians must continue to insist on the necessity of nationalistic policies no matter the pressure of globalisation and the demands of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, saying that China which is the fastest growing developing economy achieved its feat by internally-grown policies.
“China has resisted pressures by these international financial institutions to float its currency. This has not prevented the massive inf-low of foreign direct investment which continues to play a major role in the unprecedented growth of the economy,” the NLC said.
On the issue of the palliative committee set up by government to explore measures to cushion the effects of hike in prices of petroleum products, NLC appealed to members of mass organisations represented on the committee to hold their representatives accountable by ensuring that they (the representatives) canvass the popular positions of their members.
The NLC also called on the federal government to amend the name of the committee to reflect its broad ma-ndate as a way to elicit greater confidence of Nigerians in it.
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