The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to proceed on a total, comprehensive and indefinite nationwide shutdown of the country if there is another increase in the pump price ofpetrol from the existing N617 per litre, which it describes as illegal.
This followed reports that the oil marketers have hinted of plans to increase the pump price of the product from the present rate to between N680 per litre and N720 per litre in the coming weeks, should the US dollar continue to trade at between N910 and N950 per litre at the parallel market.
This disclosure is contained in a notification by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, at the African Trade Union alliance meeting yesterday, in Abuja.
This is coming barely 10 days after the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) suspended its nationwide protest and industrial action over the removal of fuel subsidy following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
This comes amid speculations that pump price of petrol may increase N720 per litre.
The organised labour also warned the Federal Government against undermining the unions demands.
Leaders of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria of Nigeria, (MOMAN); Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, (IPMAN) and Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, had indicated that the cost of fuel would rise to between N680/litre and N720/litre in the coming weeks should the dollar continue to trade from N910 to N950 at the parallel market.
The marketers, who stated their position yesterday, disclosed that dealers seeking to import the product were being forced to put the plans on hold due to the scarcity of foreign exchange to import the commodity.
They said the CBN Importers and Exporters (I&E) official window for foreign exchange, which boast of a lower exchange rate of about $740/litre, had remained illiquid and unable to provide the $25million to $30million required for the importation of PMS by dealers.
The marketers said the scarcity had led to the suspension petrol importation by dealers, who were initially eager to import the commodity. They, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to intervene to address the crisis.
On when Nigerians would start seeing the price increase, one of the marketers said, NNPC is like the sole distributor of petroleum products now, so once you see a change in the price of petrol at their outlets, then other marketers will implement it.
The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, alluded to the fact the dealers were not importing petrol despite the fact that the government recently issued licences to about six marketers to bring in products.
