From Teryima Ajijah, Jos
President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Waba has said the persistent scarcity and hike in petroleum products and aviation fuel is a deliberate act by government to suffer innocent Nigerians unduly.
The NLC president stated this in Jos, Plateau state, on Thursday, during the 6th National delegates conference of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), holding in the state.
Comr. Waba, who was represented at the event by an executive member of the NLC, Emmanuel Obwuana, noted that the ongoing fuel scarcity in Nigeria is a failure in governance by the Federal Government, which he said has refused to implement needed reforms in the petroleum industry towards tackling the challenges.
According to Waba, Nigeria is the only country in the developing world still importing petroleum product 100 percent to be sold to citizenry in the 21st century.
The NLC president worried that the continued sorry state of Nigerian refineries was the major challenge bedeviling the country in circulating adequate petroleum product.
In his address, President, AUPCTRE, Comr. Benjamin Anthony, worried over the continued insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment and epileptic power supply in the country.
According to Comr. Anthony, Nigerian workers are suffering untold insecurity and economic hardship due to inhuman policies of government.
The AUPCTRE president urged Nigerian workers to fully participate in the forthcoming 2023 general election in the country, as a means of voting in only people of integrity, who have the competence to develop Nigeria in all sectors.
Earlier, on her part, Chairperson, AUPCTRE in Plateau state, Dorcas Lenkat, in a welcome address, however, attested to the gathering that civil servants in the state are no at logger heads with government over welfare issues.
Dorcas affirmed that the Simon Lalong led government in the state had paid their salary arrears on assumption of office in 2015, and also withdrew the Industrial court case between civil servants and government, over no work no pay policy of the immediate past administration of Jonah Jang.
Some Nigerian governors, who according to AUPCTRE are workers friendly were presented with awards.
President, Public Service Union of Ghana, an equivalent of the NLC in Ghana attended the 6th national delegates conference of AUPCTRE.
It was gathered that 379 delegates across the 36 states of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory are attending the two-day AUPCTRE delegates conference.
A communiqué is expected at the end of the delegates conference on critical decisions which shall be taken to address major challenges been faced by citizens in Nigeria.