Deliberation On Fuel Price, Minimum Wage Begin

The Federal Government has inaugurated the technical committee set up to look into Labour’s grievances following the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

The committee was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal.

Briefing journalists at the end of the committee’s inaugural meeting, the chairman, who is also the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige said the committee has been commissioned to look into three key areas.

“Government has already provided N500 billion in the 2016 budget as palliatives and this will be subjected to a review by the committee,” Ngige said.

“Another term of reference is the recommendation of the composition of the board of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).”

Labour had faulted the federal government’s rationale for hiking the fuel price from N86.50 to N145 per litre when the board of the PPPRA was not in place. The NLC had also requested that the federal government include labour stakeholders in the N500 billion palliative measures it planned to use to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike.

The union also demanded for upward review of the minimum wage to N56,000.