The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticized the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly referred to as petrol, stating that the policy has worsened the country’s challenges rather than solving them. This position was articulated by Benson Upah, the NLC’s spokesperson, in response to President Bola Tinubu’s recent remarks during a media chat held at his Lagos residence.
During the media engagement, President Tinubu defended his administration’s decision to eliminate the fuel subsidy, emphasizing that it was a necessary move to avert an impending national financial crisis.
He argued that continuing with the subsidy would have been detrimental to Nigeria’s long-term economic stability, likening it to spending the country’s future resources recklessly without meaningful investment. “We are spending our future. We are spending our generation’s fortunes. We are not investing. We are just deceiving ourselves,” the President asserted, reaffirming that he had no regrets about the policy decision.
However, Benson Upah disagreed strongly with Tinubu’s assessment, expressing doubts about the effectiveness of the subsidy removal. Speaking to a journalist on Saturday, the NLC spokesperson countered the President’s claims, questioning the purported benefits of the policy. “Certainly not,” Upah stated when asked if he shared Tinubu’s perspective. “The President knows the truth.
Has the removal solved the problem, or has it created more problems?”The NLC’s stance underscores ongoing debates about the socioeconomic implications of subsidy removal, with labor unions and other stakeholders expressing concerns over its impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
