The Nigeria Labour Congress has described the recent surge in petrol prices, triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as a direct blow to Nigerians and urged the federal government to take urgent steps to cushion the impact.

In a statement titled “Save Nigerians From This Shock: An Urgent Relief Has Become Necessary,” the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said Nigerian workers are unfairly bearing the burden of a global crisis they had no role in creating.

Ajaero stated that the military tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran have rattled global oil markets, causing petrol prices in Nigeria to surge.

“Consequently, petrol prices in Nigeria have skyrocketed to between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre. This is a direct assault on the Nigerian people.

“While imperialist rivalries play out with bombs abroad, our working class is bombarded with poverty and hunger because we have refused to ensure that our public refineries are operational.

“This crisis has brutally exposed the fragility of Nigeria’s downstream sector, tearing off the mask of those who claimed local refining made us immune.

“The Dangote Refinery has adjusted its prices in lockstep with global volatility, passing the burden directly to the masses. This makes a lie of comfortable narratives about meeting domestic demand.

“As long as we remain dependent on a market-driven pricing structure tied to global vicissitudes, and refuse to bring our public assets to life, we will remain hostages to wars and speculators.

“The NLC warned of the danger of sabotaging our refineries to create a monopoly,” the statement reads.

The union urged the government to immediately stop the neglect and deterioration of the public sector and to restore the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna.

The group said that the rising prices of petrol and diesel have made transportation increasingly unaffordable for workers, exacerbating the country’s cost-of-living crisis.

The labour union urged the federal government to act swiftly, calling for an immediate wage increase and the introduction of a cost-of-living allowance for workers.

“An expansion and overhaul of Cash Transfers to ensure transparency and that they reach the most vulnerable, with increased value to match inflation.

“Immediate Tax Reliefs for Workers and a stoppage of all regressive taxes on low-income earners, including the proposed tax on the informal economy. Taxing the minimum wage is extortion.

“A timeline for the full-scale operationalization of all public refineries. The Nigeria state must be held accountable for billions spent on turnaround maintenance,” the NLC said.

The union also urged the government to engage workers and citizens in genuine social dialogue, cautioning against using the Middle East crisis as a pretext to further impoverish Nigerians.