May 01, (THEWILL) – Akwa Ibom NLC chapter chairman, Comrade Sunny, has decried hike in fuel prices and diversion of petroleum products by marketers in the state, stating that labour would not hesitate to picket any filling station found culpable.
The riot act by the union was contained in the chairman’s speech during the May Day celebration on Monday, at the Ibom Hall Grounds, IBB Avenue, Uyo.
According to him, the union has set up a task force of workers on Petroleum Products Monitoring, to collaborate with Government Agencies to end unnecessary price increases and diversion of petroleum products by marketers in the State.
James decried a situation in the state where a litre of fuel goes between N240 to N270, against the Federal Government’s approval of a new pump price of N185 per litre.
He said that it was very worrisome that in spite of the state being an oil-producing state, some marketers even sell up to N400 per litre in the last two months.
He said that labour would no longer tolerate any such oppression of workers by shylock marketers for continuously inflicting pain on the people
“Henceforth, we shall not hesitate to picket any filling station found culpable, in unnecessary price increases and diversion of their products meant for the State to unknown location will be resisted
“We hereby insist that petrol and other refined products must be sold at government-approved prices in Akwa Ibom going forward”, James said.
He, however, called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Uyo office, to release and make funds available to commercial banks for payment at the counter and in Automated Teller Machine (ATM), to alleviate the suffering of the workers and masses.
He warned that the union would not tolerate any more acts of the impoverishment of workers and the Akwa Ibom people by Point of Sale (POS) agents who derived happiness in making naira to appreciate in the POS market.
James appealed to Gov Udom Emmanuel to make funds available to assist the Local Government sector to clear all outstanding leave grants to primary school teachers and the local government workers to bring them at par with the workers’ state, who were expecting the payment of the 2023 leave grant.
Gov Udom Emmanuel in his address at the event assured the NLC that the consequential pensions adjustment of retirees was being worked on, and all outstanding pensions and the allowances of medical doctors on housemanship would be cleared before he vacates office on May 29.
Emmanuel said that the disagreement on promotion arrears of 2011-2016 for teachers would be sorted out.
He added that the government was waiting for the data on 7.5 percent contributory pensions and would begin the process of refund as soon as the required information reaches the government.
“I had a meeting with the pensioners who brought something to my attention. I stand on my promise that we would correct those issues of the pensioners if their joint report will be ready by Wednesday (I have called a special meeting of exco members) and they promised me that the report would be ready.
“We have done the 2022 promotion. The 2022 promotion has been signed and I would be surprised if the Head of Service has not circulated that because that should go for implementation. The 2023 promotion will be done after your performance appraisal in 2023.
“So, I can’t start now to promote you, hoping you will perform. You would perform first before I promote you.
“On the issue of leave grants for primary school teachers, since we took over government and governance, every month, the state has been intervening in helping out at the third tier of government.
“It is not the fault of the local government, it is the structure of our fiscal responsibility as a nation.
“Whatever we do is a sacrifice on our part that we keep intervening in the local government area.
“When this was brought to my notice, I said we are going to suspend a lot of projects as a state and intervene immediately.
“I want to believe that beginning tomorrow, people will start getting alert”. Emmanuel said.
The 2023 May Day celebration theme is “Workers’ Rights and Economic Justice.”
