The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has warned that those pushing for subsidy removal in Nigeria want to set the country on fire, following the announcement that the outgoing government of President Muhammadu Buhari had left the decision of petrol subsidy removal to the incoming government.

According to NLC, the focus should be on local refining of petroleum products, declaring that anybody thinking of subsidy removal at this time wants to blow up the country.

General Secretary of NLC, Emma Ugboaja, said these in a chat in Lagos, adding that nobody should drag Nigerian masses and workers into any increase in fuel price in the name of subsidy.

He warned that Organized Labour would not accept a hike in petrol price in the name of subsidy removal.

He said: “It will be uncharitable in 2023 for any government to be talking about subsidy or no subsidy for a product that is naturally and thoroughly well-endowed in Nigeria.

“It smirks of wickedness for us to be discussing subsidy as an issue rather than discussing production. We are discussing subsidy as an economic theory rather than discussing production.

“The energy and resources that people are putting into discussing subsidy show a lack of focus. It shows a lack of seriousness and a lack of appreciation of what governance should be.

“If in 2023, rather than getting people that will make proper use of our natural endowment, we are busy discussing the cosmetic challenge of subsidy or no subsidy, it is absurd.

“One would have thought that people should be setting before the incoming government a genuine challenge on how to move Nigeria forward.

“Not for us to continue in the rigmarole of vicious, musical cheers and absurd comedy of subsidy or no subsidy. We cannot be people that do not respond to records," he said. (Vanguard)