By Billy Adedamola
The jerking up of the fuel pump price and the electricity tariff last week by the federal government not unexpectedly sparked outrage across the nation,with mild protests recorded in about five cities. As expected, the organised labour,the opposition political parties and pressure groups condemned the new price regimes and called for immediate reversal. The Labour’s reaction naturally raised hopes in nigerians. In the past the Labour has forced the government to slash such hikes, however little. This was achieved through strike notice and actions. Nigerians did not expect a different step this time around. Like most Nigerians, I expected the organised Labour to wade in as usual and force a reversal or ,at worse,a reduction. But as days stretched to a week without a firm move, my hopes and indeed that of many Nigerians began to thin out. This is not the labour we used to know. A lot of people alleged sell out. A newspaper screamed in a banner headline : TOOTHLESS LABOUR! . The fact is, the high expectations of the people were misplaced. There is nothing new about the price hikes, be it of the fuel or the electricity tariff. It has simply become a periodical ritual. We have lived with it for so long that, it is no longer a matter of “Not again”, but when?. And subsidy being the reason for the price jerk has been as constant as the air we breathe. In the past three months, petrol price have jerked up three times. In June, it was hiked from N121,50 – N123.50 per litre. The following month,July it jumped to N140 .80 -143.80. In August, the price moved up again N148-N150. All these while there was no whimper from the suffering Nigerians. I guess what change the tune this time around was the near simultaneous hike of petrol and electricity tariff. In addition is the biting effects of the Covid -19 pandemic on the individual’s economic welfare and wellbeing. To worsen matters, the fuel marketers have warned of possible further increase. President M uhammadu Buhari, in justifying the latest infliction of hardship on Nigerians claimed his government lost 60 percent of revenue to coronavirus pandemic, consequently the government had no alternative than to remove the subsidy on petrol. Ironically, while Buhari led government is pushing the pains of the pandemic on the citizens, other countries including even nearby Ghana are offering their citizens palliative to cushion the throes accompanying the ravaging virus. The fall-out of the punishing price hikes is very apparent. Skyrocketing rate of unemployment with the attendant crime surge and worsening state of insecurity. Nigerian bakers have already announced bread price increase of 50 percent. In a move to avert industrial action owing to the price hikes, President Buhari over the weekend directed his Labour minister, Dr Chris Ngige to meet with the organised labour to convince them on the necessity of the government action. The meeting is slated for tomorrow. Personally, I don’t expect the meeting to meet the expectation of the people, which is to reverse the hikes. This is because, unlike in the past ,the Labour has not taken a position with which it will negotiate with the government. Anyway, the government has not said it is going into any negotiation. It said the meeting is meant to convince the labour of its action. And it has also said many times before now, that there is no going back on the subsidy removal and the attendant price hike. Problem is ,in Nigeria ,government policies have never benefited the ordinary man. The beneficiaries are always people in power or people connected to power. That the latest steps and promises by the government will usher in a better life for the people remain to be seen.
