Organized Labour said yesterday the latest hike in the pump price of petrol was pushing Nigerians to the limit.
It also warned the Federal Government against what it described as a surprised and unexpected reaction of the people to the frequent hike in the price of the product.
Labour equally advised the government to be wary of the silence of Nigerians in the midst of excruciating hardship and misery being inflicted on them, saying even a goat can bite when pushed to the wall.
This is even as an employer group, the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employer’s Federation, CANMPEF, said the petrol price increases, occasioned by subsidy removal, had led to an increase in transportation/logistics, production costs, the decline in household income and purchasing power.
Labour’s warning came on a day the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said its members wait for days to load petrol from Dangote Refinery in Lagos, despite paying N40 billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
It also said Nigerians can pay less for the product if marketers were allowed to buy directly from the refinery.
One of the labour leaders, who attended the October 16 meeting with the Federal Government at the office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF) told newsmen on condition of anonymity that government officials are gradually pushing the masses to revolt against the establishment.
He said: “We had thought that the Federal Government will halt the incessant increase in the pump price of petrol after our October 16 meeting, where we made the government representatives, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation understand the level of frustration, hunger, misery and general restiveness across the country.
‘’Sincerely, we thought the government would give the people a breathing space and suspend the increases. The government is testing the patience of Nigerians. I can tell you that government is pushing the citizens to a boiling point.
“This latest increase yesterday (Tuesday, October 29) is one increase too many and a bitter pill to swallow. The increases are pushing the citizens to the limit.
“Government should not be surprised if the people of Nigeria decide to react in an unexpected way that will shock those in government. The people are really angry, frustrated, hopeless and are moving to a point where they may vent their anger in an unusual way that may be difficult to curtail.
‘’You cannot continue to flog a child and tell him not to cry. Hunger is everywhere, apart from the people in power or their friends and relations.
“The frustration and suffering in the country were also highlighted a few days ago during the meeting of the 19 Northern governors, alongside traditional rulers, among others. Across the country, people are just waiting for something to ignite the fire.
“Increasingly, the government is providing the fuel that will ignite the fire. What is probably left is someone to light the matches. We (Labour) have been urging the government to jettison the anti-people policies and lessen the pain, suffering, hunger, poverty and frustration to no avail.
“We have been cautious, thinking the government will allow common sense, empathy and the reality of the mass suffering of the citizens to drive its actions and inactions. Unfortunately, the reverse has been the case. It is getting to the time when the bubble will burst. Even a goat can bite when pushed to the wall.
VANGUARD
