Comrade Benson Upah, NLC Head of Information and Publicity, voiced his concerns during an interview with Africa Independent Television (AIT), on Wednesday, accusing the government of significant missteps.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticised the decision of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to remove fuel subsidy, which has contributed to the hardship faced by citizens.

Following the attendant high cost of living and worsening poverty, Nigerians are gearing up for a 10-day #EndBadGovernance protests, which is scheduled to kick off on Thursday, August 1.

Comrade Benson Upah, NLC Head of Information and Publicity, voiced his concerns during an interview with Africa Independent Television (AIT), on Wednesday, accusing the government of significant missteps.

Upah stated, “Had the government listened to us, it would not have found itself where it is today.”

He pointed out President Bola Tinubu’s declaration on May 29, 2023 that that fuel subsidy was gone was a violation of the Appropriation Act, which mandated the subsidy should remain in effect until the end of June.

“When the President (Tinubu) announced the subsidy removal, he violated the Appropriation Act. What he did that day was a violation of the Appropriation Act because subsidy was supposed to run till the end of June,” Upah said. 

“A serious parliament should have questioned him on this error,” he added.

The NLC official also criticised the President for missing a critical opportunity to engage with stakeholders.

“The President killed an opportunity to discuss with us and other stakeholders, opting instead to listen to only one side of the story—the Bretton Woods Institutions,” Upah added.

He rejected the IMF’s justification that the subsidy primarily benefited the wealthy.

“Can you listen to such a scam? As if the poor in Nigeria do not use Premium Motor Spirit (PMS),” he argued.

Additionally, Upah highlighted issues of financial mismanagement, accusing the government of failing to address over-invoicing and other corrupt practices.

“There were instances of over-invoicing where inflated costs were passed onto the public,” Upah revealed. “The President should have tackled these crimes instead of prematurely removing the subsidy