Tinubu
By Amah
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The Presidency has rubbished the claim of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, that President Bola Tinubu promised them that his administration would not increase the pump price of fuel.
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, on Tuesday, said at no time did the president make such a promise during the New National Minimum Wage negotiations.
Recall that the labour unions had cried out against the latest fuel price hike, saying President Tinubu betrayed them by reneging on his promise and making them accept N70,000 as New minimum wage.
Consequently, Joe Ajaero, the NLC President, had demanded an immediate reversal of the adjusted fuel price increase by the government.
Ajaero said Labour accepted the ₦70,000 minimum wage instead of its demanded N250,000 because the president promised there would not be an increase in fuel price.
“We are filled with a deep sense of betrayal as the Federal Government government clandestinely increases the pump price of PMS. One of the reasons for accepting N70,000 as national minimum wage was the understanding that the pump price of PMS would not be increased even as we knew that N70,000 was not sufficient,” Ajaero had said.
“We recall vividly when Mr President gave us the devil’s alternatives to choose from: either N250,000 as minimum wage (subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000) and N70,000 (at old pms rates), we opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians,” Labour said, in a statement, on Tuesday.
However, Abdulaziz accused Labour of playing dirty politics and deceit, contending that there was no discussion as regards fuel price increases in exchange for minimum wage.
Writing in his X handle, Abdulaziz said: “I sat through the two meetings President Bola Tinubu had with Labour leaders on minimum wage. At neither of the meetings was an offer made in exchange of fuel price hike. Ajaero is once again playing his dirty politics with the emotions of Nigerians.”
