Daily Independent Online.
*
Thursday, July 08, 2004.
Fresh strike looms as NLC rejects
latest fuel price hike
• Oil workers, govt officials meet in Abuja
By Bassey Udo,
Snr.
correspondent,
Abuja
The Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC) on Wednesday rejected the latest hike in the prices of petroleum
products, accusing the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) of
“precipitating mass discontent, heating up the polity and portraying the
Federal Government as incapable of honouring its commitment.”
NLC rejection came just as oil workers
begun meeting with government officials in Abuja on ways of resolving problems
in the oil sector.
The organised
Labour said petroleum products marketers across the country surreptitiously
adjust their pump prices over the weekend by about N2.50k after they were
directed by the Federal High Court to revert to the pre-February prices of N40
as a condition for the nationwide strike action called by the NLC to be
suspended.
In separate letters
to the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
Fuso Kupolokun and the Executive Secretary, PPPRA, Oluwole Oluleye, the NLC
expressed its opposition to the hike and called for immediate restoration of
prices to the pre-February 7, 2004 levels as ordered by the High Court.
It also called on
the Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, to take steps to give effect to
the court order made expressly to the police “in line with its mandate of
enforcing the law and orders of the courts.”
The increases, the
NLC said, was coming after a closed-door meeting Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi,
chairman, PPPRA Governing Board, held with marketers, ahead of its Board
meeting on June 30, 2004, which exclude other members.
The letter signed
by Owei Lakemfa, acting general secretary, noted: “As you know, these
increases, which are completely unwarranted, violate the subsisting order of
the Federal High Court to the effect that the price regime pre-February 7, 2004
be maintained. Every thing must be done to ensure that the increases are
reversed, as Congress would have no alternative, but to respond based on its
strong view of the situation”.
But the oil workers
have begun another round of meeting with government officials on ways to
resolve problems of the oil sector. The workers had on Wednesday commenced the
wearing of red or black clothes to the office
