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Workers in the oil
and gas sector on Thursday, assured Nigerians that the proposed
increase in petroleum products prices would not be effected without the
approval of labour unions.

Reacting to the
proposal by the National Economic Management Team (NEMT) for the
government to increase the petrol price from N65 to N100 per litre, the
workers said the body was in no position to make such a suggestion.

The oil and gas
workers belong to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association
of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

Mr Babatunde Ogun,
the PENGASSAN president, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos
that the NEMT was usurping the responsibility of another government
agency.

“The team is not in
the proper agency to make such proposal. The Petroleum, Products
Pricing, Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) is the one charged with the
responsibility to do so,” he said.

The union leaders
explained that before the government could increase the price of
petrol, certain fundamentals needed to be considered and certain things
put in place.

According to him,
some notable Nigerians were appointed members of the committee on
deregulation of the oil and gas sector and their input must be
considered before any price increase.

Ogun cautioned that
if the fuel price was increased without the government implementing
certain yearnings of workers, it would not be acceptable to Nigerians.

Another labour
leader, Elijah Okougbo, NUPENG General Secretary, said that the union
would protect consumers from any increase that would have an adverse
effect on them.

“We are keeping our
eyes open, but do not think that the government will increase the price
of fuel from N65 to N100 without the knowledge or contribution of the
unions,” Mr Okougbo said.

He noted that the
NLC was represented on the committee set up by the government to
deliberate on deregulation and price increase of petroleum products,
which had not concluded its assignment.

“The committee is still sitting and even the issue was debated at
the NEC meeting of the NLC in Kaduna. No increase was mentioned,” he
said.