The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called for an immediate return of petrol prices to their levels as of June 2023. This demand comes in the wake of a recent increase in fuel prices that has sparked widespread concern among Nigerians.
During a press briefing held in Abuja on Thursday, TUC National President Festus Osifo expressed the union’s dissatisfaction with the current pricing, urging the government to intervene.
“We want the price of the product to go below what it was before; not just reverse to what it was before but to go below,” Osifo stated, emphasizing the need for actionable solutions.
He further advised the government to provide foreign exchange support to the Dangote refinery, asserting that this would help stabilize fuel prices.
“There is no government in the world that doesn’t intervene in its critical sector,” he noted, adding that the Federal Government “shouldn’t leave it (the oil sector) to the vagaries and gyration of our naira.”
Osifo highlighted the importance of making petrol affordable and accessible for all Nigerians, stating that the commodity is essential even for households without vehicles. “The availability, affordability, and accessibility of petrol for all Nigerians is key,” he stressed.
The TUC outlined its demands, urging the Federal Government to work through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to grant all marketers licenses to lift petrol from the Dangote Refinery. This move is intended to enhance the distribution network and ensure that fuel is readily available across the country.
Osifo also pointed out that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) should seek alternative sources of refined petrol if the Dangote Refinery fails to meet the nation’s daily demand.
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“If it is not available, it is a problem. If, for example, the production from Dangote Refinery is less than 15 million litres per day, it is not sufficient,” he explained.
He added that while efforts are being made to increase production at the Dangote Refinery, the government should source fuel from other avenues to fill the gap until the refinery can meet demand.
“So, while efforts are being made to ramp up production from Dangote Refinery, what we are demanding is that we should look for every other means as we are ramping up production,” Osifo concluded. “That is key because it will address the issue of availability.”
