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By Emmanuel Aziken
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
ABUJA—SOME Senators have expressed concern over last week’s increase in the prices of petroleum products with some affirming that the new price regime made it necessary to sustain the capacity of the Nigerian Labour Congress to check the government. Senator Farouk Bello (ANPP, Kebbi) on his part warned that the silencing of the NLC was government’s first step towards wholesale implementation of the prescriptions of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
He warned that the next step in the implementation of the IMF agenda was to devalue the naira through the introduction of the N1,000 currency. Senators Uche Chukwumerije (PDP, Abia North) and Chris Adighije (PDP, Abia Central) also speaking on the development, were sympathetic towards the economic consequences on the majority of Nigerians with the complete deregulation of petroleum product prices. Senator Bello who said the government’s announcement vindicated his stance that majority of Senators were unhappy with the passage of the labour bill, said the administration was now in full throttle in the implementation of the prescriptions of the Breton Woods institutions after the decimation of organized labour.
“I have been vindicated when last week I voiced out the dissatisfaction of majority of Senators that they were not happy with the passage of the labour bill and that the intention of this government is to silence all opposition so that its polices to impoverish Nigerians will go unchallenged.” Warning of further sinister intentions, he said: “The intention of government is to silence opposition so that they can implement IMF policy wholesale and the next step now after this is the devaluation of the naira through the introduction of the N1,000 currency note,” Senator Bello warned. Senator Adighije while expressing his shock at the news conveyed his sympathies to Nigerians but said that the parliament would work towards addressing the issues that may impoverish the lots of the citizens through the latest government policy on petroleum product prices. “Nobody is happy when these things happen and we on our part as lawmakers and representatives of the people will continue in our efforts to see how this issue can be properly addressed,” he said yesterday.
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