Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has expressed concerns about the deceptive practices surrounding fuel pump pricing in Nigeria. During an interview with Channels Television on July 18, Ajaero shed light on the situation.
According to Ajaero, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has stated that independent marketers are now responsible for importing refined petroleum products into the country, implying that they are no longer the sole importers. However, Nigerians are demanding transparency and calling for the public disclosure of the names of these new importers.
Ajaero voiced his doubts, saying, “NNPCL cannot import and claim that the commodity was imported by marketers. That is not true. If the government removed petroleum product subsidies and suddenly there is another price increase just as committee meetings are about to begin, why would the government seek a court injunction and employ other measures if it is not involved?”
He expressed concern that Nigerians are being needlessly punished and deceived, stating, “It seems we have entered a period where lies are prevailing, and Nigerians are being subjected to unnecessary hardships. If you have a single market where everyone must change dollars at N800/$1, and you remove the market where people were exchanging dollars at N450 to import, it means that the moment the dollar value increases to N900/N1000, they will tell us that they imported it at the current value. Even though the products we have now are not the ones imported at N800/$, the government is clearly playing with Nigerians. This is not economics; it is a reign of impunity.”
Ajaero also criticized the government’s decision to allocate N70 billion to subsidize the National Assembly while removing fuel subsidies, which primarily affect the impoverished masses. He accused the government of taking away benefits from the poor and channeling them to the wealthy.
Regarding the compressed natural gas (CNG) context, Ajaero mentioned that if the CNG agreement had already been implemented, it would have provided a cheaper alternative (N100 per liter) for underprivileged Nigerians who struggle to afford fuel at higher prices. However, the continued increase in fuel pump prices while the CNG agreement is still pending is seen as a disregard for the welfare of Nigerians.
Ajaero further revealed that institutions such as the African Development Bank (AfDB) have shown interest in funding the CNG alternative in the country, raising confusion as to why the government is not taking steps to initiate the availability of CNG as an alternative fuel for Nigerians.
He accused the government of exhibiting dictatorial tendencies and currently burdening Nigerians with price hikes in fuel, school fees, and electricity tariffs.
