ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Nigeria Labour Congress has said it is planning to hold a meeting with the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, over matters relating to the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.
The union insisted that its position on fuel subsidy had not changed, stressing that the government must endeavour to get Nigeria’s refineries functional before taking out subsidy on petrol.
READ ALSO: Buhari Stops Planned Removal of Fuel Subsidy, Minister Reveals Why
This is as the labour union’s position was also re-echoed by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
IPMAN explained that while it was important to halt the subsidy regime, the Federal Government of Nigeria should at the same time strive to fix Nigeria’s refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri.
The NLC Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Adewale Adeyanju, told Punch that though the NLC had already made its position known to the incoming administration, it was looking forward to meeting the President-elect after he has been sworn in as President.
He said: “The man (President-elect) has not been sworn in. When he is sworn in, he can then sit down with the NLC to discuss the fuel subsidy issue. The NLC has been making its position known to Nigerians and to even the incoming government.
READ ALSO: President-elect Tinubu To Decide Fuel Subsidy Removal Date After Swearing-in
“The incoming government has been advised properly by all stakeholders about removing the subsidy and I cannot advise them more on this. But let them come in first and we can then sit with them and discuss this matter.”
On what the position of the NLC was, Adeyanju explained that it had remained that the government should get Nigeria’s refineries running, saying that it would help ameliorate the cost burden of fully deregulated petrol.