Tinubu hails court order on fuel prices
By Wole Shadare
LAGOS State Governor, Bola Tinubu has commended the judiciary for its role at resolving the face-off between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the recent fuel price increase.
The governor while speaking to journalists yesterday at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, shortly before the arrival of President Olusegun Obasanjo in Lagos, praised the judiciary for being the last hope of the common man.
His words: "We need those stages and quick efforts at ameliorating the suffering of the people. To be honest with you, the judiciary has being doing a good job, we cannot have it one hundred per cent most of the time."
Justice Roseline Ukeje of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had last week during the face-off between Labour and Government ordered that the Federal Government to revert to the N38 per litre pre-February price of petrol and that workers should not go on strike.
The order by Justice Ukeje was hailed by many Nigerians as commendable, while the NLC also praised her courage.
Tinubu faulted the explanation by government that the oil marketers raised the prices of petroleum products because it is cheaper in the country.
He described the excuse as lame, stressing that in foreign countries where the commodity is expensive, governments have alternatives to cushion the effects of the hardship.
The governor said: "In London, you have the alternative, you chose your mode of transportation. I don't have to drive my car, there is organised public network transportation system.
"You can reduce the consumption while you are fixing the refineries, to me its getting to a stage where we have to sit down as stakeholders and make a critical analysis of what members of the public are suffering."
He also commended NLC President, Adams Oshiomhole for representing the peoples' voice, adding that "that's what democracy is all about".
He, however, stated that the repair and privatisation of the nation's refineries were the only ways out of the constant disruption of economic and social life occasioned by frequent strikes.
"Privatisation is the answer what you will give back when you are taking something away from them is crucially important," he said.
