Bad governance, cause of high petroleum products – NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress has identified bad governance in Nigeria as the cause of what it described as “unconscionable high cost of petroleum products.”
In a statement on Thursday on the judgment obtained by human rights lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, on the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, the NLC also warned the government against increasing the pump price of fuel.
In the statement signed by its acting President, Comrade Promise Adewusi, the NLC told the “government to forget the unpopular idea or plan to further mark up the prices of petroleum products.”
Adewusi hailed the judiciary for supporting the masses on the issue of further deregulation of the downstream oil sector.
The statement added: “This obviously is victory for democracy and the independence of the judiciary.
“We commend the plaintiff, Barrister Bamidele Aturu, for his doggedness and the Honourable Justice M. Bello for his courage to stand by the constitution.
“However, we sincerely believe that the issues of deregulation go beyond the fixing of the pump prices of petroleum products.
“The adverse effects of an unconsciounable high cost of petroleum products on the citizenry borne out of bad management of the petroleum sector is the crux of the matter.
“This underscores our insistence that the Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) be made justiceable to promote good governance and protect the welfare and well-being of the Nigerian people.
“In the light of the above therefore, we call on the government to forget the unpopular idea or plan to further mark up the prices of petroleum products