Removing subsidy now would increase sufferings – NLC

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has said all those campaigning for the withdrawal of fuel subsidy as a pre-condition for investment in the downstream sector of the oil industry are not friends of the country and the masses.
Wabba said the new Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Emmanuel Kachikwu , is not on the same page with President Buhari on the reforms in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
He said the ongoing campaign of the NNPC’s boss for the removal of fuel subsidy does not fly on the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Wabba
”We are surprised that Dr. Kachikwu has failed to read the lips of his principal, President Buhari, who had consistently said he is not convinced that the vast majority of poor Nigerians can afford to bear the effect of the removal of the so-called subsidy on petrol.
“For us, the new NNPC boss has his job clearly cut out for him. If he cannot assist Mr. President and the country in ensuring that our four refineries start working at optimum capacity within the shortest possible time; if he cannot come up with a doable plan for the Buhari Presidency to establish new refineries to cater for the shortfall in our domestic petroleum products needs; if he cannot articulate a plan for us to establish refineries within and outside our immediate borders that will be refining our crude oil for export, adding value, creating jobs and making more revenue for the country, then he is the wrong man at this point in time to man the NNPC.

Buhari
“It is quite clear, and we have said this time without number, that all those campaigning for the withdrawal of fuel subsidy as a pre-condition for investment in the downstream sector of the oil industry are not friends of our country, and indeed the masses of our people. They must be kept at arm’s length,” Wabba said.
Wabba added that removing the so-called subsidy on fuel is tantamount to increasing the suffering of the average wage earner and majority of Nigerians that do not earn any wages at all,
“We will continue to resolutely oppose any such plan, and we will mobilise Nigerians in their millions to join us in this struggle”