Fuel Subsidy:F.G./TUC not Compromising positions

As the debate over the removal of fuel subsidy deepens, the Federal Government and the labour unions have a restated their positions without compromise.

In a meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the labour unions in Abuja, the Federal Government, while maintaining that oil subsidy removal is a necessity, merely disclosed that the government is yet to fix a date for the commencement of the decision to fully deregulate the sale of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol.

Speaking through the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting, the Presidency noted that at N65 per litre, the price of PMS is so cheap that it encourages smuggling of the product outside the country, adding that although all Nigerians benefit from the subsidy, the wealthy benefit more, a situation the government claims it wants to reverse. 

In a joint statement by the NLC and the TUC, the labour unions stated that there is no justification for the planned action by the Federal Government, noting that the money the government said it would save if the subsidy is removed cannot address the needs of Nigerians in any significant way.

They added that the Federal Government’s argument for its proposal has remained the same over the years and are devoid of facts regarding how oil subsidy removal will affect the living conditions of the ordinary Nigerian.

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