Subsidy removal: Don’t listen to IMF, NLC tells FG •Vows to resist fuel price hike

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday warned the Federal Government not to compound the crises of insecurity, unemployment and poverty which is confronting the nation by bowing to the pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to remove fuel subsidy and increase fuel price.

In a statement signed by the Deputy President and Chairman, Economic Commission of NLC, Comrade Kiri Mohammed, the congress said any petroleum price increase will be resisted by Nigerians, adding that it is committed to resisting any price increase in the name of subsidy removal.

Comrade Mohammed said: “While we have no immediate control over the games of the IMF, we wish to once more remind the government that any petroleum price increase will be resisted by Nigerians.  Government must be careful not to compound the crises of insecurity, unemployment and poverty which today confront the nation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigeria Labour Congress remains committed to resisting any price in the name of subsidy removal.”

The NLC was speaking on the recent call by IMF on the Federal Government to withdraw the subsidy on petroleum products to help fiscal adjustment, mobilise non oil revenues, strengthen oil price rule and oil saving mechanism.

The NLC Deputy President said: “The pressure of the IMF on the Federal Government to withdraw subsidies on petroleum products is rather unfortunate.  For an organization whose history is replete with prescribed policies in the developing world which have only served to pauperise the citizens of nations implementing such policies, one would expect that its officials would be more circumspect in continuing to ram down the throat of these nations the same destabilizing policies.

“The IMF, unfortunately, does not bear the mandate of and is not accountable to the citizens who bear the brunt of the impact of these policies. 
Governments must realize that they rule and implement policies on behalf of citizens.

“In the incessant contestations over petroleum products pricing in our nation, some of which have threatened the very foundation of the nation and resulted in loss of lives and other grave costs, where has been the IMF?”
Tribune