‘Expect more shocking policies from Tinubu,’ LP warns Nigerians after fuel subsidy removal

The Labour Party on Tuesday decried the sudden removal of the petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had in his inaugural address shortly after taking the oath of office at Eagle Square, Abuja, on Monday ended the fuel subsidy regime in the country.

He noted that former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government did not make provision for payment of subsidy in the 2023 budget bequeathed to the present administration.

The president stressed that the fuel subsidy regime cannot be sustained by his administration and promised to channel funds for the scheme into better uses for the benefit of Nigerians.

But in a statement titled “Removal of Fuel Subsidy, First of Many Shocking Policies to be Expected,” issued by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party flayed President Tinubu for taking such a unilateral decision without consulting the organised labour and other relevant stakeholders on the matter.

It warned Nigerians to brace up for more surprises and rude shocks from the current administration in the coming days.

The LP also lamented the effects of the fuel subsidy removal by the president with queues returning to filling stations and petroleum marketers raising the pump price to as high as N750 in some states.

The statement read: “The Labour Party has been confronted with the stark reality that less than twenty-four hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over the reins of power, Nigerians woke up to see the pump price of petrol shot up to N600 per litre and N750 per litre in the black market. This is arising from the immediate removal of subsidy on petrol as announced by the new administration.

“As we speak, the queues are back again and Nigerians will, as was the case in the previous administration, begin to keep vigils in the filling station to get just a few litres of petrol.

“ As expected commercial transporters have hiked their trip fares across the country in response to the developments. While product hawkers are once more the king of the jungle.

“This scenario easily reminds one of the stories of a certain Pharaoh who on an assumption of the throne empowered his taskmasters to triple the daily tasks of the Jews. What a way to announce an emergence as the sheriff in town. President Tinubu’s first executive proclamation was such that it is purposed to inflict pain on Nigerians.

“The removal of subsidy by presidential fiat as witnessed yesterday was not only shocking but practically took every Nigerian by surprise. The reason we advise Nigerians to brace up for more rude shocks and surprises in the days ahead.

“Labour is therefore condemning the unilateral decision by President Tinubu who without any form of consultation with the stakeholders particularly, the Labour unions removed the subsidy on petroleum and has instantly pushed Nigerians further into hardship.”

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