By Uzair Adam
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have issued warnings that the recent increase in petrol prices by the Federal Government is pushing many Nigerians to a breaking point.
This comes as prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, calls on the government to complete the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries by September 2024 or take legal action against contractors for failing to meet project deadlines.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) also urged President Bola Tinubu to order the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to reverse the price hike, labeling it as “illegal and unconstitutional.”
While the NLC advocated for public resistance to the fuel price increase, Atiku highlighted that the government’s plans to raise Value Added Tax (VAT) would further worsen the economic strain on citizens.
NLC President Joel Ajaero, represented by Prince Adewale Adeyanju at a Labour Writers Association of Nigeria workshop, decried the combination of fuel price hikes, naira devaluation, and rising electricity tariffs as policies that have deepened the struggles of ordinary Nigerians.
Atiku also voiced concerns that the VAT increase, following the petrol price surge, would severely impact the country’s already fragile economy and the livelihoods of Nigerians, compounding the existing cost-of-living crisis.