The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have rejected the recent reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N935 per litre, calling for a further price slash to alleviate the economic burden on Nigerians.
The reduction, announced by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in collaboration with MRS Oil and Gas, lowered the price from over N1,030/litre in Lagos and N1,060/litre in Abuja to N935/litre nationwide.
However, the labour union and activists argue that the reduction does not reflect fair pricing for locally refined fuel.
Chris Onyeka, a senior official of the NLC, criticised the government’s pricing mechanism, stating it unfairly imposes additional costs on Nigerians.
“Do you want us to clap for them? How can we be okay with a price of N935/litre of PMS? This is not the right price for PMS. You cannot base the price on imported products when we have refining capacity in Nigeria,” he said.
“Products are refined in Nigeria, yet the price you give Nigerians is based on imported products. Why should we applaud that? It is akin to someone stealing your money and returning only part of it, then expecting you to clap. We cannot applaud this.”
“We need to know how much it costs the NNPC to refine a litre of PMS in our local refineries, such as the Port Harcourt refinery. That is the price Nigerians should be paying,” he emphasised.
“This country belongs to all Nigerians. Let the government do the right thing that allows Nigerians to breathe. Let the poor breathe.
“The NLC’s position underscores growing discontent among Nigerians over the rising cost of living, with fuel prices being a major contributor to inflation and economic hardship,” he stated.
