The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has given the Federal Government conditions under which it will acquiesce to the latter’s planned removal of the subsidy on petrol.
The body told the FG to shelve its proposed move to remove subsidy if local refining of petrol is not put in place.
It argued that subsidy removal without local refining capacity portends serious socio-economic implications on businesses and Nigerians.
According to the Union, members are not against to the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, but the Federal Government must ensure that our local refineries are put into full operation before such a major policy decision is taken in the interest of the generality of Nigerians.
This was part of a communiqué issued by NUPENG leaders at the end of the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, in meeting Lagos.
NEC had deliberated on the state of the nation, especially after the conduct of the 2023 general elections and the increasing statements from Nigerians on the intention of the Federal Government to end the PMS subsidy regime, among others.
The communiqué was signed by the President and General Secretary of NUPENP, Prince Williams Akporeha, and Afolabi Olawale, respectively.
It noted that “NEC-in-Council also examined the recurrent discussions for the removal of subsidy from the Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, and expresses deep concerns over the failure of the Federal Government to do the needful as advised by Organised Labour that deregulation of the PMS should not be predicated on importation of the product because of all the obvious negative impacts on the socio-economic life of the people and nation in general.
“The Council-in-session expressed disappointment in the failure of the government to deliver on its promises of making the three national refineries work before contemplating the removal of the subsidy on this very important economic item in view of the enormous implication and the impact on the economic activities and considering the socio-economic importance of PMS to ordinary Nigerians.
“The NEC-in-session reaffirms that in as much as our Union is not averse to the removal of PMS subsidy, the Federal Government must ensure that our local refineries are put into full operation before a such major policy decision is taken in the interest of the generality of Nigerians.”
