PIB: Limiting Fuel Imports To Refiners Monopolistic, Says TUC

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has condemned the planned
move to limit the importation of petroleum products into the
country to few operators in the oil and gas industry.

The TUC, in a statement on Tuesday, described the move as
monopolistic and a deliberate attempt to frustrate the challenges
the PIB is intended to solve.

“The market should be left open if the government truly wants to
be sincere in addressing the problem of the sector,” it said.

The TUC President, Mr Quadri Olaleye, and the Secretary General,
Mr Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said the country could not afford to continue
toying with the oil and gas sector as it remains the only major
source of foreign exchange.

The statement said, “The labour chiefs are surprised, dismayed
and irritated by the conspiracy to waste another opportunity to fix
the sector, noting that from the lawmakers’ position and body
language one could infer they are serving the interest of some few
individuals to the detriment of the over 97 per cent of the
country’s population but the congress will not allow that to
happen.

“The labour leaders urge the lawmakers to rise up and provide
true leadership instead of serving the interest of few capitalists.
It is high time ‘these principalities and powers’ removed their
knees from the neck of Nigeria and Nigerians.”

According to the statement, the TUC is not against the companies
holding refining licences.

”We are only saying the sector should be left open so the
destiny of the country will not be in the hands of a few
individuals,” it said.

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has condemned the planned
move to limit the importation of petroleum products into the
country to few operators in the oil and gas industry.

The TUC, in a statement on Tuesday, described the move as
monopolistic and a deliberate attempt to frustrate the challenges
the PIB is intended to solve.

“The market should be left open if the government truly wants to
be sincere in addressing the problem of the sector,” it said.

The TUC President, Mr Quadri Olaleye, and the Secretary General,
Mr Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said the country could not afford to continue
toying with the oil and gas sector as it remains the only major
source of foreign exchange.

The statement said, “The labour chiefs are surprised, dismayed
and irritated by the conspiracy to waste another opportunity to fix
the sector, noting that from the lawmakers’ position and body
language one could infer they are serving the interest of some few
individuals to the detriment of the over 97 per cent of the
country’s population but the congress will not allow that to
happen.

“The labour leaders urge the lawmakers to rise up and provide
true leadership instead of serving the interest of few capitalists.
It is high time ‘these principalities and powers’ removed their
knees from the neck of Nigeria and Nigerians.”

According to the statement, the TUC is not against the companies
holding refining licences.

”We are only saying the sector should be left open so the
destiny of the country will not be in the hands of a few
individuals,” it said.