Date: 2020-09-11

Kwara state council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the federal government to as a matter of urgency revert to the old price regime of both petrol and electricity tariff .

The congress also asked and the federal government to fix the nation's refineries to stop the importation of refined petroleum products. The Congress, in a press statement signed by its Chairman, Aliyu Issa Ore and made available to newsmen in Ilorin Thursday, viewed the decision to increase the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff as a demonstration of government insensitivity to the plight of the masses who are still reeling under the debilitating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Ore, "the Kwara NLC on behalf of over 42 affiliates unions both public and private sectors wishes to join its national body to condemn the Federal Government inhuman act over the sudden increase in pump price of petrol and electricity tariff. "We demand that our four national petroleum refineries must be fixed without any further delay to stop the importation of refined petroleum products", the statement said.

The congress also appealed to Kwara state governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to expedite action on the signing of collective agreement on the national minimum wage to pave way for its implementation as the current amputated N18,000 minimum mage inherited from the last administration was inadequate considering the presents economic realities in the country. Ore, however, thanked the entire workers of Kwara state both in the formal and informal sector for their patience while still waiting for the directive of the national headquarters of NLC on the next line of action should the federal government fail to rescind its decision.