Labour warns FG: We’ll shut Nigeria if you increase fuel pump price, electricity tariff

ORGANISED Labour has warned the Federal Government against any further hike in the pump price of fuel and electricity tariff.

National Auditor of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and President of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, NUCFLANMPE, Babatunde Olatunji, gave the warning while speaking at the union’s 29th Annual Nationwide Industrial Relations.

He said: “Increasingly, we are hearing rumours and insinuations that the Federal Government is planning to increase the pump price of fuel and also electricity tariff. We want to appeal to the government not to contemplate any increase. 

"We want to appeal to the government not to tempt our patience with any more hike in electricity tariff or pump price. If the government tries it, we, as organized labour, will not accept it and we will resist with everything we have.

“If anything, what the government should do is to device measures and palliatives to cushion the effects of the economic hardship and suffering across the land. The government should not inflict more pains on workers and the ordinary Nigerians. 

"We are facing a lot hardship at all corners, so the government should not add to our woes to avoid social unrest across the country.”

Lamenting the increasing insecurity, high inflation and poor power supply in the country, Olatunji said:  “At present, the inflation rate stands at double digits which is discouraging to investment, thereby constituting a cog in the wheel of manufacturing sector’s activities. 

‘’To purchase raw materials has become so difficult due to restriction in accessing foreign exchange, FOREX, while the exchange rate is unfortunately unfavourable to the Naira.

“Another major challenge is inadequate infrastructure to support manufacturing. Power supply is at the lowest ebb. Currently, the total power supply in Nigeria stands at 4000 megawatts for about 200 million people, while South Africa with 50 million population boasts of 58,000 megawatts. 

‘’Industrialisation cannot take place where there is no adequate power supply. Poor road network is another major constraint to the manufacturing activities .Roads from the sources of raw materials and the markets are no longer motorable.”

In a keynote address, Executive Secretary of the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employers Federation, CANMPEF, Mr Femi Oke, said: “Our nation’s Gross Domestic Product GDP, is negative and population continues to grow faster than output. Consequently, more people are getting poorer.

“Devaluation of the naira with exchange rate of N430-N440 to USD for investors, according to the recent statement by the CBN governor, has led to scarcity and inadequate FOREX for manufacturers to import raw materials for production. 

‘’As a result, there is 12 - 14 per cent rise in inflation, real interest rate will remain negative, increase in cost of distribution, companies profit performance dwindling and key businesses are not employing.   In fact, they are laying off employees.

“Today, over 21 million Nigerians are unemployed, which is population of Burkina Faso and no social safety net. The purchasing power of the average worker is falling. This is adversely affecting sales of consumer products.

“With the global recession and dwindling income from crude oil sales the government should prioritize sales of forex to the manufacturing sector.

‘’They should make efforts to curtail the rising inflation in the country, reduce port congestion, stop multiplicity of levies from the local, state and federal government, prioritize infrastructure development and maintenance.  Concerted efforts should be made to improve the security situation in the country.”