Fuel Scarcity Hits Lagos,Ogun,Others 

By Fatai Ahmed

Scarcity of fuel has hit Lagos and Ogun States, investigations by New Telegraph, on Tuesday have revealed.

Information also revealed that some other parts of Nigeria are affected by scarcity.

The scarcity has resulted in long queues of fuel users in some petrol stations that still dispense the product.

There were long queues of motorists and other fuel users in some filling stations, especially in retail outlets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited in Agege, Alimosho, Ikeja, Ogba, Ikorodu road, Lagos Mainland, Lekki and some other parts of Lagos State.

It was also discovered that some petrol stations, especially those owned by independent marketers, were no longer dispensing fuel.

The petrol attendants claimed that they were out of stock of the product.

Meanwhile, the NNPCL has said that it has no intention to hike fuel prices.

It stated this in a post on its verified Twitter handle.

It tweeted: “Dear esteemed customers, we at NNPC Retail value your patronage, and we do not have the intention to increase our PMS pump prices as widely speculated.

“Please buy the best quality products at the most affordable prices at our NNPC Retail Stations nationwide.

In another development, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to embark on a nationwide strike without formal notice to the federal government should there be another increase in the pump price of fuel while negotiations were still ongoing and palliatives yet to put in place.

NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero who issued the warning at the ongoing African Alliance of Trade Unions meeting on Monday in Abuja, also pleaded with the federal government to change what he described as “those bad economic policies that make our wages next to nothing.”

He said: “As we’re here now. They’re contemplating on increasing the pump price of petroleum products. But the Minister of Labor for some time now, will only go to Minister of Justice to come up with injunction to hold the hands of labour not to respond. They have started floating ideas of a likely increase in the price of petroleum products.

“But let me say this. Nigeria workers will not give any strike notice. If we have not addressed the consequences of the last two increases of fuel pump price, and we wake up from asleep to hear that they have tampered with the fuel pump price again.”

Ajaero further noted: “I want to plead with government that those bad economic policies that makes our wages next to nothing, should be checked. If you check those policies that lead to inflation, and devaluation of the currency, we will be comfortable even where we are. if naira is at par with dollar today, we will asks you to leave minimum wage at 30,000.

“If inflation is checked to zero, we will ask you to leave things the way they are. But inflation is flying, and by the admittance of the National Bureau of Statistics, we have over 133 million Nigerians that are multi dimensionally poor. I think these are the issues Government should address. If we go for wage increased tomorrow, the inflation that will follow suit will destroy it.”

On the interference on trade union matters by the Inspector General of Police the NLC President said, “The Nigerian police, the IG is now performing the duties of the Ministry of Labour. The duty of Ministry of labour includes addressing the issue both inter and intra union disputes. It is not within the purview of the Inspector General of Police to go into that area. And I think there is need for the Ministry of Labour to educate the police to tell them that they don’t have the right to usurp its functions. If they do that, the Ministry of Labour will go into extinction and there’ll be no basis for Minister of Labour to remain there.

“We say it is legal and we demand an apology from the IG of police for arresting or even contemplated to arrest the president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, for whatever reason, at the eve of the election. It is unheard of in the history of this country. And never again should not be entertained. Nigerian police against Nigerian workers, we will not waste time too much to their offices. Let them use the same gun that was bought with the workers’ tax tonight engage us?

“Go and collect your functions from Ministry for police and for Ministry of Justice. Even when there is a dispute intra or inter it is your function to refer such to NIC. As the Nigeria Labour Congress that relates with the Ministry of Labour so much. We are afraid that your work is going into extinction. But we’re here ready to cooperate with you, laugh with you, and fight with you at appropriate time.