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Tag: Fuel Hike

  • APC faults Edo Govt’s decision to suspend school resumption over fuel hike

    APC faults Edo Govt’s decision to suspend school resumption over fuel hike

    APC has described as “expensive political gimmickry” the decision of the Edo Government to suspend indefinitely the resumption date for schools in the state over the hike in the price of fuel.

    The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Education, Ojo Akin-Longe, via a memo, announced the postponement of Sept.9, the earlier scheduled date until further notice.

    Mr Peter Uwadiae-Enosorogbe, Publicity Secretary of APC, told NAN that the action of the state government was a political gimmick less expected by the public.

    Uwadiae-Enosorogbe said he was surprised that the state government could be sacrificing the educational pursuit of the children for politics.

    “You cannot sacrifice the education pursuit of the children for fuel scarcity. It is not today we are having a hike in fuel price. This cannot derail the educational system.

    “Nobody is protesting the hike and no parents have complained that they cannot take their children to school for learning. This is not adding up.

    “To every reasonable and rational individual, the government has erred again. It is one of the mistakes of the state government.

    “It is not in the interest of the children; it is not in the interest of the parents and it is not in the interest of the educational system,” he said.

    Uwadiae-Enosorogbe called for the reversal of the decision, saying the state education had suffered a lot under this administration.

    According to him, statistics of performance for the recently released results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) ranked Edo 26th as against 1st and 2nd positions in the past.

    “If you now postpone resumption, how are you going to mitigate the time you have made them to stay at home deliberately. Meanwhile, the parents are not complaining,” the APC spokesperson said.

    He called on the stakeholders to prevail on the government to open the school, adding that it was illogical for the government to keep at home children whose parents had paid school fees and bought textbooks.

    “The children are eager to go back to classes to learn. So the government should not use political gimmickry to checkmate them.

    “Edo government should be talked to, because the action is an aberration; the action is uncalled for; the action is not in the interest of anybody,” he said.

  • Edo suspends school resumption over hike in fuel price

    Edo suspends school resumption over hike in fuel price

    Edo Government has announced an indefinite postponement of resumption of all schools in the state over the hike in fuel price.

    The government announced this, in a memo by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Ojo Akin-Longe, in Benin on Saturday.

    The permanent secretary said the resumption, scheduled for Sept. 9, was postponed until further notice.

    “The Edo State Government hereby announces the postponement of the resumption of all public and private schools in Edo State, originally scheduled for Monday, 9th September 2024, until further notice.

    “An official statement from the government has directed that schools remain closed due to the tension arising from the recent increase in fuel prices and the challenges faced by parents and guardians.

    “The government urges parents, guardians, and caregivers to monitor the activities of their children and wards closely, given the current situation and the rising tension caused by the fuel price hike,” Akin-Longe said.

  • NNPC refutes plan to increase fuel prices amidst speculations

    NNPC refutes plan to increase fuel prices amidst speculations

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has denied any intentions of hiking the retail price of petrol in the country amid speculations and rising inflation.

    The country’s annual inflation rate surged to 24.08 per cent in July from 22.79 per cent in the month of June, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday.

    Responding to circulating reports that petroleum pump prices could surge from the current N617 per litre to a range between N720 and N750, the NNPCL released a statement on its official platform refuting the claims.

    “Dear esteemed customers, we at NNPC Retail value your patronage, and we do not have the intention to increase our petrol motor spirit (PMS) pump prices as widely speculated.

    “Please buy the best quality products at the most affordable prices at our NNPC Retail stations nationwide,” the NNPCL said.

    It would be recalled that in May, the NNPCL adjusted its pump price as a direct consequence of the removal of petroleum subsidy as announced by President Bola Tinubu in his inaugural address on May 29.

    Following this announcement, the NNPCL directed its outlets across the country to vend fuel between N480 and N570 per litre, an increase of almost 200 percent from the initial rate of N185.

    The surge in petrol price immediately set off a chain reaction, triggering a rise in transportation fares and the cost of goods and services by varying degrees.

    In July, the cost of petrol at NNPC Retail outlets further rose to N617 per litre in Abuja and other major cities in the country and the company attributed the spike to the sway of ‘market forces.’

    The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, had explained that the oil sector’s deregulation ushered in a new era of market-driven pricing dynamics.

    “We have the marketing wing of our company. They adjust prices depending on the market realities. This is really what is happening; this is the meaning of making sure that the market regulates itself so that prices will go up and sometimes they will come down also. This is what we have seen, and in reality, this is what the market works,” Kyari said.

    However, as the country’s refineries remain non-operational, the reliance on importing refined fuel subjects the cost of petroleum to the fluctuations of global market dynamics.

    Industry experts and consumers have expressed concerns that the state-owned oil company’s assurance might not hold true if market conditions shift.

  • Fuel hike: NLC threatens to commence strike without notice

    Fuel hike: NLC threatens to commence strike without notice

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to embarked on a nationwide strike without any formal notice if there is further increase in the pump price of fuel.

    Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC President said this at the ongoing African Alliance of Trade Unions meeting on Monday in Abuja.

    Ajaero said that negotiations with the Federal Government was still ongoing and the palliatives to cushion the effect of the removal subsidy were yet to be put in place firrst.

    Ajaero while reacting to the advice of the Registrar of Trade Unions of their responsibilities of protecting the interest of workers and Nigerians, urged government to change the anti-poor and anti-workers policies.

    According to him, government must change those bad economic policies that make our wages next to nothing.

    “ As we are here now, they are contemplating on increasing the pump price of petroleum products but let me say this, Nigeria workers will not give any strike notice.

    “If we have not addressed the consequences of the last two increases of fuel pump price, we would have waken up from asleep to hear that they have tampered with the fuel pump price again,” he said.

    The NLC president however, appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that theⁿ anti-workers policies are checked.

    “If you check those policies that lead to inflation and devaluation of the currency, we will be comfortable even where we are.

    “If  Naira is at par with  dollar today, we will asks you to leave minimum wage at N30,000.If inflation is checked to zero, we will ask you to leave things the way they are.

    “But inflation is flying, and by the admittance of the National Bureau of Statistics, we have over 133 million Nigerians that are multi dimensionally poor.

    “I think these are the issues Government should  address. If we go for wage increased tomorrow, the inflation that will follow suit will  destroy it,”he said.

    On the issue of Inspector-General of Police(IGP) detaining the officers of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) that it was unlawful.

    According to him, ”the Nigerian police, the IG is now performing the duties of the Ministry of Labour.”

    ”The duty of ministry of labour includes addressing the issue both inter and intra union disputes.

    “It is not within the purview of the IG to go into that area. I think there is  need for the Ministry of Labour to educate the police to tell them that they don’t have the right to usurp its functions.

    “If they do that, the Ministry of Labour will go into extinction and there will be no basis for Minister of Labour to remain there,”he added.

    He further that it was legal for NLC demand an apology from the IG of police for arresting  or even contemplated to arrest the president of the NURTW on the eve of the union’s election.

    He added that, it is unheard of in the history of this country. And never again should not be entertained,” he said.

  • ‘Fuel hike will bring hardship on Nigerians’ – NLC urges FG to announce withdrawal

    ‘Fuel hike will bring hardship on Nigerians’ – NLC urges FG to announce withdrawal

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to announce the withdrawal of its plans to increase the pump price of petrol in the country.

    The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, made this appeal in a letter jointly signed by Mr Emanuel Ugboaja, the General Secretary of the congress, and addressed to state governors on Monday in Abuja.

    The letter is titled:” Petition by Nigerian workers against the proposed increase in the price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)”.

    According to Wabba, labour write to draw the attention to the recent proposal by the federal government to increase the pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol anytime from now.

    ”It is the well-considered view of Nigerian workers as conveyed through the leadership of NLC that the proposed hike, if it goes through, would induce and impose an unprecedented degree of hardship on Nigerian workers, their families and the generality of the populace.

    ”The net and multiplier effects of such socio-economic dislocation especially with regards to decent standard of living, productivity and national security are better imagined than experienced.

    ”Nigerian workers understand that government pays out significant amount of money as so-called petrol subsidy.

    ”Nigerian workers also appreciate the fact that the monies spent on the so-called petrol subsidy would be totally unnecessary if government is alive to its responsibilities of proper management of critical national assets especially our local refineries,” he said.

    The NLC president also noted that it was the mismanagement of the four public oil refineries by successive governments that opened the floodgates of mass importation of refined petroleum products.

    He further said that this have consequently unfurled incessant increases in the prices of refined petroleum products in Nigeria.

    He added that, the fact is very clear – there is no way a country can control the price of what it does not produce.

    ”For a critical national security product like petrol and other refined petroleum derivatives, the situation is akin to handing over our national sovereignty to other climes.

    ”There is no better description of neo-colonialism and toxic neo-liberalism than this,” he said.

    The NLC president said Nigerian workers believed that the scourge of incessant hike in the pump price of petrol is self-inflicted and therefore totally unacceptable.

    Wabba therefore said NLC demanded that the federal government should announce the withdrawal of its plans to increase the pump price of petrol.

    He also said the federal government should re-engage organised Labour in Nigeria in discussions in order to find mutually acceptable solutions to the current quagmire in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sub-sector.

    ”The Federal Government should demonstrate seriousness and commitment to overhauling our local refineries as a lasting panacea to mass importation of refined petroleum products.

    ”That is importation Pricing Model, and a host of lost opportunities, official corruption and self-inflicted dislocations occasioned by mass importation of refined petroleum products into Nigeria.

    ”Governments at all levels in Nigeria should take immediate steps to improve governance and public accountability.

    ”This is in order to regain the confidence of Nigerians that the cardinal constitutional mandate of guaranteeing the welfare and security of Nigerians has not been traded off,” he said.

    Wabba added that organised Labour as a responsible social partner is willing and ready to work with government to find enduring solutions to the crisis in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector and other areas of challenge in governance.

    He also noted that the forthcoming nationwide protest for Jan. 27, is geared at alerting government on the sufferings that Nigerians are going through.

    ”It is also geared to show the additional insufferable trauma that Nigerians would be subjected to if the government goes ahead with the hike in the price of refined petroleum products.

    ”We plead that Your Excellency should use your position as a member of the National Economic Council to convey our foregoing persuasions and demands to the Federal Government,” he said.

    He warned that Nigerian workers would have no other choice than to down tools once the government goes ahead to force another round of petrol price increment on Nigerians.

    “Nigerians have suffered enough,” said the labour leader.

  • Fuel Hike: Delta NLC brace up for nation-wide rally

    Fuel Hike: Delta NLC brace up for nation-wide rally

    The Delta State Executive Council (SEC) of the NLC, says it will mobilise its affiliates on Jan. 27 to protest the Federal Government proposed hike in petrol pump price in the country.
    Arising from its maiden meeting of the year on Wednesday in Asaba, the labour union said that the meeting was convened to deliberate on the Federal Government’s move to increase the pump price of petrol from the current N165 per liter.
    In a communiqué signed by its Chairman, Goodluck Ofobruku, and the Secretary, Innocent Ofuonyeadi, the union said that the decision to embark on the peaceful rally is in compliance with the directives of the National Headquarters of the NLC.
    The three-point Communiqué which was read by Ofuoneadi, stated that the Delta State Council of the NLC shall mobilise all its affiliates to participate fully in the nation-wide protest on Jan. 27, 2022, directing the leadership of affiliate unions and civil society partners to ensure that their members take part in the rally in Asaba.
    “The law enforcement agencies are to cooperate with Labour towards ensuring that the protest is peaceful,” the communique stated.
  • Labour rejects proposed fuel hike as Senate says no budgetary allocation for N5000 stipend for 40m poor Nigerians

    Labour rejects proposed fuel hike as Senate says no budgetary allocation for N5000 stipend for 40m poor Nigerians

    The Nigeria Labour Congress has rejected the proposed hike in pump price of fuel to N340 per litre from 2022.

    It warned that an increase in the price of petrol will lead to hyper-inflation and an astronomical rise in the cost of goods and services.

    Besides, the trade union said talks over petrol subsidy with the government was inconclusive.

    The NLC in a statement by its President Ayuba Wabba, restated its rejection of deregulation based on an import-driven model.

    The statement reads in part: “The response of the Nigeria Labour Congress is that what we are hearing is the conversation of the Federal government with neo-liberal international monetary institutions.

    “The conversation between the government and the people of Nigeria, especially workers under the auspices of the trade union movement on the matter of fuel subsidy, was adjourned sine die so many months ago.

    “Given the nationwide panic that has trailed the disclosure of the monologue within the corridors of government and foreign interests, the Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to posit that it continues to maintain its rejection of deregulation based on import driven model.

    “It is difficult to convince Nigerian workers why our dear country is the only country among the OPEC member countries that cannot produce its own refined petroleum products and thus adopts the neo-liberal import production model of refined petroleum products.

    “We wish to reiterate our persuasion that the only benefit of deregulation based on the import-driven model is that Nigerian consumers will infinitely continue to pay high prices for refined petroleum products.

    “This situation will definitely be compounded by the astronomical devaluation of the naira, which currently goes for N560 to 1US$ in the parallel market.”

    NLC believes that any attempt to compare the price of petrol in Nigeria to other countries would be set on a faulty premise.

    It said such a comparison would be akin to comparing apples to mangoes.

    NLC added: “The contemplation by the government to increase the price of petrol by more than 200 per cent is a perfect recipe for an aggravated pile of hyper-inflation and astronomical increase in the price of goods and services.

    “This will open a wide door to unintended social consequences such as degeneration of the current insecurity crises and possibly citizens’ revolt. This is not an outcome that any sane Nigeria wishes for.

    “The argument that the complete surrender of the price of petrol to market forces would normalise the curve of demand and supply as is being wrongly attributed to the current market realities with cooking gas, diesel and kerosene is very obtuse.

    “The truth is that these commodities which Nigeria can easily produce have been priced out of the reach of most Nigerian families with the majority of our people resorting to tree felling and charcoal for their energy needs.

    “Finally, we wish to warn that the bait by the government to pay 40 million Nigerians N5000 as a palliative to cushion the effect of the astronomical increase in the price of petrol is comical, to say the least.

    “The total amount involved in this queer initiative is far more than the money government claims to spend currently on fuel subsidy.

    “Apart from our concerns on the transparency of the disbursement given previous experiences with such schemes, we are wondering if the government is not trying to rob Nigerians to pay Nigerians? Why pay me N5000 and then subject me to perpetual suffering?”

    According to the Congress, the government’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy is “cloudy”.

    “Clearly, government thoughts on the so-called removal of fuel subsidy is cloudy and appears to be a ‘penny wise-pound foolish’ gamble.

    “It is clear that the palliative offered by the government will not cure the cancer that will befall the mass of our people who suffer the double jeopardy of hype-inflation while their salaries remain fixed.

    “As we had done several times, we call on the Federal Government to consider various options that can help Nigeria navigate out of the quagmire constructed by the failure of successive governments to embrace developmental governance and accountable leadership. Some of the viable options that can help include:

    “Insulate the domestic consumers from the market pressure brought about by the free fall of the naira by arranging with contiguous refineries not far from Nigeria to swap crude oil with refined petroleum products;

    “Accelerate work on the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s four major refineries which are all currently operating at near-zero installed capacity; and

    “Establish empirical data on the quantity of refined petroleum products consumed daily by Nigerians.

    “It is unfortunate that this record remains a myth and a huge crater for all manner of official sleaze and leakages in the downstream petroleum sub-sector of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.”

     

    No budgetary allocation for N5000 stipend for 40m poor Nigerians – Senate

    Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Finance has said there is no provision for monthly N5000 transport grant to 40 million poor Nigerians in the 2022 budget currently being considered by the National Assembly.

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Adeola Olamilekan Solomon, said the 2022 budget proposal contains fuel subsidy, but no provision for the proposed N5000 transport grant, which amounts to N2.4 trillion annually.

    Solomon stated this while speaking with newsmen after presenting his panel’s report on 2022 budget to the Appropriations Committee. He said before the executive could embark on such intervention, a proposal to that effect must be sent to the National Assembly for approval.

    “The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning was quoted to have said that 40 million Nigerians would be paid N5000 as transportation allowance in lieu of the fuel subsidy.

    I don’t want to go into details for now. I believe that if such proposal is to come to pass, a document to that effect must be sent to National Assembly for us to see how possible it is and how do we identify the 40 million Nigerians that are going to benefit.

    There are still a lot of issues to be deliberated upon and looked into if eventually this will come to pass. How do we raise this money to pay these 40 million Nigerians because I know that even the federal government revenues are from this so-called oil and other sources.

    We don’t have anywhere in the budget where 40 million Nigerians will collect N5000 monthly as transportation allowance totaling N2.4 trillion.

    I know that there must be a budgetary provison for this for us (National Assembly) to consider. That is why I said it is still a news out there until it is formally sent to the National Assembly for either a virement to the budget or reordering of the budget.”

  • Scarcity: NNPC, other stakeholders debunk fresh fuel hike rumours

    Scarcity: NNPC, other stakeholders debunk fresh fuel hike rumours

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday allayed nationwide fears over alleged plans to hike pump price of petrol.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that some states including the FCT are experiencing scarcity of the product as some filling stations shut down. This has led to fears of a possible hike in the product.

    TNG also observed that stations adjusted their fuel pump prices from N162.50k to N165 per litre, while others went as high as N170.00 per litre.

    However, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, dismissed rumours about an imminent upward review of the product.

    According to him: “NNPC has not increased its ex-depot price. I am certain that NNPC is not likely to increase its ex-depot price in February.”

    He said the NNPC has a stock of petrol that can last for over 40 days.

    Obateru urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to clamp down on the marketers hoarding petrol.

    “We have sufficiency for almost 40 days. If people are hoarding or increasing their prices, it is for the DPR to look into it,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) urged the Federal Government to return subsidy to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) as landing cost has soared to N180 per litre.

    IPMAN’s National Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Maiganidi said the government should either deregulate the product fully or subsidise it.

    Maigandi was reacting to the latest fuel scarcity in Lagos.

    Asked whether there was an upward review of the pump price, he said: “Most of the private depots are selling petrol for between N160 and N164 per litre instead of N148 per litre.”

    The Major Oil Marketers of Nigeria (MOMAN) denied that there was an increment in the pump price of petrol.

    It wondered whether any fuel marketer was getting supply from any source other than the NNPC

    MOMAN Chairman, Tunji Oyebanji, said none of his members has hiked fuel price, adding that all marketers currently source products from the NNPC.

    He said since the Federal Government claimed it has deregulated the downstream oil sector, marketers were at liberty to sell at any price reflecting their operational cost.

    He said if the unilateral fuel price hike had come from some of his members, the government would have wielded the big stick.

    Oyebanji said the Federal Government desired to deregulate the downstream oil sector, adding that if that had taken place, the price would have gone up astronomically.

    He said the government was in consultation with Labour to avoid a steep rise in petroleum products prices.

     

     

  • Fuel hike, a violation of agreements reached with FG – TUC

    Fuel hike, a violation of agreements reached with FG – TUC

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) says the increase in petrol price is in violation of all agreements the union had with the Federal Government.

    This is contained in a statement jointly signed by TUC’s President, Mr Quadri Olaleye and its Secretary General, Mr Musa-Lawal Ozigi on Tuesday in Lagos.
    The statement noted that in spite of efforts made by the organised labour in its last meeting with government over hike in fuel price and electricity tariff, it had resolved to further impoverish Nigerians with the recent increase.

    “We recall that at our meeting, government appealed that subsidy removal was the only way out, else the economy will collapse and there will be massive job losses.
    “We agreed with them to save the economy and jobs.

    “If the government claims to have deregulated the downstream sector of the oil and gas by removing fuel subsidy, it means the independent oil marketers are importing petrol at their own cost.

    “Information at our disposal, however, is that no independent marketer is importing fuel because they cannot access dollars.

    “The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporations (NNPC) is still holding on to that monopoly,” the duo said.

    Both leaders expressed disappointment that government had again reneged on agreement reached with the organised labour sometime in September.

    The duo said, “In few days, the various committees involving government and the organised labour will brief labour and the civil society and the outcome of that meeting will determine our next line of action.’’

  • FG explains reasons for latest fuel hike

    FG explains reasons for latest fuel hike

    Minister of State for Petroleum Resource, Timipre Sylva has attributed hike in pump price of petrol to breakthrough in COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer.

    He said the announcement of the breakthrough led to slight increase of the product at the international level, which led to the adjustment of fuel price in Nigeria.

    Sylva, who spoke in Abuja shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said what happened recently was because of the announcement of a vaccine for COVID-19 by Pfizer.

    He said with that, crude oil prices went up a little bit, which necessitated adjustment.

    Sylva stated that “if you have been following crude oil prices, you would have seen that crude oil prices went up a little bit as a result of this announcement.

    “So, when crude oil prices go up a little bit, then you will see that (it will) instantly reflect on the price of petrol, which is a derivative of crude oil.”

    He explained that the prices of crude oil is determined by the force of demand and supply at the international level.

    Sylva said since the nation had deregulated the downstream sector, the international prices of crude oil now determined how much the product would be sold locally in Nigeria.

    “When the price of crude oil goes up, then it means that the price of the fixed stock has gone higher; it will also affect the price of the refined product and that is why you see that product prices are usually not static, it depends on the price of crude oil which goes up and down.

    “That is why we say, deregulate so that as the price goes up or down, you begin to go up and down as well at the pump. Before now, we fixed it – which was not optimal for us as a country,” he explained.