Labour resist senate’s proposed N5 levy on fuel

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG), The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have kicked against the Nigeria senate’s proposed plan to increase with N5, fuel price, which will make the price of a litre petrol to sold above =N=145.00.
 
According to separate statements released by the unions, they describe the proposal as ‘anti-people’.
 
NUPENG in it’s statement signed by the president, Igwe Achese stated that “it is one tax and levy too many, considering the recession, poverty and hunger in the land”. Vowing to resist the move if passed into law, due to its ability to cause untold hardship on the citizens of this country.
 
“The Union condemns in its entirety the imposition of 0.5 percent charges on passenger fares as part of the levy”.
 
“It advised the Senate and the Federal Government to look at other ways to fund the roads, infrastructure with recovered monies from looters and through public private partnership schemes, instead of further impoverishing poor Nigerians that voted for them”.

In similar vein, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, who on behalf of the labour centre aired their disgrunt at the proposed increase stating that it would be fully resisted.
 
“We as organised labour would not allow such an action to sail through, because it is anti-people.
 
“Increasing fuel price in whatever form will affect so many things and we say no to it. Government should be sensitive to the plight of the people in any decision making process, because people come first in any issue”.
 
He added, “Rather than impose more hardship on the people, the political class should cut their bogus budget and expenditure in order to make money available to fund road rehabilitation rather than transfer the burden to the people”.
 
Also kicking against the increase is the Trade Union Congress who categorically stated that Nigerian lawmakers and other political office holders have become numb to pains, agonies and miseries of Nigerians.
 
The union in a signed statement by its President and General Secretary, Comrade (Dr.) Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Comrade (Barr.) Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said funding for the Proposed National Roads Fund will only impoverish Nigerians.
 
“The Congress hereby warns and calls on the presidency and well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the senate and everyone behind the ungodly moves to drop them. They will be resisted. Our patience is over-stretched and we cannot be able to contain it anymore. A word is enough for the wise”.
 
Making reference to an earlier statement “on September 5th, 2016 it was reported that the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi said further increase in fuel pump price beyond 145 Naira would translate to more hardship on Nigerians.

He blamed former Group Managing Directors of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations (NNPC) for raising such issue as a solution to the challenge of the sector. We are surprised that the position stated above few months ago no longer holds water”.
 
Recall that The Senate Committee on works made a proposed increase in the pump price of petrol from N145 to N150. The committee made the recommendation in a report on the National Roads Fund NRF (Est. Etc) Bill (SB.218) bill that is currently before the house.
 
According to the chairman of the committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya , the fund when established would “serve as a repository of revenues from road user related charges and other sources for financing, which shall be managed and administered for routine and periodic maintenance works on roads in the country”.

Part of recommendations the committee put forward is a fuel levy of N5 chargeable per litre on any volume of petrol and diesel products imported into the country and locally refined Petroleum products.
 
The committee also recommended toll fees; a percentage not exceeding 10 percent, of any revenue paid as user charge per vehicle on any Federal road designated as toll road.

It further recommended international vehicle transit charges, inter-state mass transit user charge of 0.5 percent deductible from the fare paid by passengers to commercial mass transit operators and axle load control charges.