Jethro Ibileke/Benin
The recent crisis in the petroleum industry which led to the hike in pump price and persistent fuel scarcity that has paralyzed economic activities across the country, has been attributed to division in the labour union.
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Edo State chapter, Comrade Emmanuel Ademokun, who disclosed this, also blamed their internal crisis for the federal government’s stance on the lingering crisis.
Ademokun stated this Thursday in Benin, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary celebration of the NLC, held at the New Era College, Benin City.
He noted that the real players in the petroleum sector utterly backed out of the struggle that could have brought an end to the increase and eventually end the struggle as well.
“A house that is divided against itself, what do you expect to get? It will not stand. But the
truth is that we are actually on the issue in terms of the increase in the price of fuel, we know that the major union in that field is an affiliate of NLC, but they are not part of the struggle now. They utterly carved themselves out, they formed their own United Labour
Congress which is illegal and I still believe they are part of us.
“To us in NLC, we are asking them to come back so that we can face this issue together to avert the increase squarely with the federal government. The division at the federal level in the labour Union is really affecting the struggle.
“It is not that we are weakening, but we are getting stronger. NLC did not keep quiet, we were working and consulting. We are majorly awaiting the national directives, we will definitely react.
“The issue is that when we cried and called on the whole world to join us in the struggle that this President Buhari’s administration increase in petroleum pump price will have negative effect, the whole world and majority of the people remained deaf to our cry.
“We told the whole world that this fuel increase will affect everything, including food products and every other thing, but people turned deaf ears to our cry and they did not want to listen to us. What is happening today is that people are feeling the impact.
“The truth is that we cried loud and we were on strike for some days. As I speak now, we are discussing at the national level, sooner or later,people at the national level will direct us on the next level to take,” he said.
The 40 years anniversary celebration has as it’s theme; “Nigeria Labour Congress: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”