Workers oppose 5% petrol levy, power sector privatisation

introduction of 5% levy on petrol by the federal
government, Punch reports.
The workers under the Trade Union Congress
(TUC) said the union is totally against the levy on
Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which is contained
in the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill
recently passed by the National Assembly.
Commemorating the 2018 May Day, the president
of the TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, said the
privatisation of the power sector had failed.
READ ALSO: International media organisation
honours Nigerian police officer, Julius Adewale
Adedeji who has never taken bribe
Kaigama said it is important to query why the
imposition of the levy is coming at a time when
Nigerians are going through pains surviving.
He said: “ We are against the five per cent fuel levy hidden
in the PIGB. The question is, why is it coming now that
Nigerians are going through excruciating pains from the
mismanagement of the economy?
“What is the necessity of the marginal levy when Nigeria
has not fully broken the shackles of fuel scarcity? If the
National Assembly cannot lessen our burden, they should
not make it worse. That levy has to be removed
immediately. The excuse that the money will be used to fund
the Petroleum Equalisation Fund is not tenable.
“The investors have failed in most of their undertakings so
far and are even arm-twisting the government to cover up
their failure. We urge the government to hold these
investors to account and stop treating them with kid gloves.

alleged plan to sack thousands of civil servants
“They must comply with the agreement they signed in their
contracts with the Bureau of Public Enterprises. Excuses
must stop. The contracts should be reviewed immediately.
We need real investors to take over the power sector. This
so-called privatisation has failed."
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com earlier reported that the
Bauchi state governor, Mohammed Abubakar
had said the state government would not be able
to pay the proposed N66,500 as minimum wage
to civil servants.
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1
news app
The governor said the state can only afford to
pay such minimum wage demanded by the
Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) if the federal
government increases its allocation.
Abubakar said taking such steps would be
difficult for the Bauchi state government to
actualise because the state generates little
revenue.

No comments: