By Joy Yesufu
Civil servants under the aegis of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene in the worsening economic hardship confronting workers and other Nigerians.
In a letter to the President, the workers demanded that the Federal Government stabilise the pump price of petrol at N500 per litre, approve an immediate wage award and review salaries and allowances across the public service.
They also called for the immediate constitution of a committee to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage ahead of January 2027.
The workers said the recent increase in petrol prices, which they put at N1,430 per litre and above in some locations, had further aggravated the cost-of-living crisis and eroded the purchasing power of workers.
They gave the Federal Government until September 30, 2026, to respond to their demands, warning that the prevailing economic hardship was creating tension among workers and Nigerians generally.
According to the JNPSNC, the removal of the petrol subsidy three years ago had resulted in a sharp increase in fuel prices, with attendant effects on the cost of essential goods and services across the country.
The workers argued that the situation had made life increasingly difficult for public servants, insisting that the provision of food palliatives was not a sustainable response to the economic crisis.
“It has dawned on Nigerian workers that the provision of palliatives such as bags of rice, Indomie, vegetable oil, garri, among other edible foods, is as good as weaponising Nigerians with poverty,” the council said.
It described palliative interventions as unsustainable and inaccessible to a large section of the population, alleging that they were often limited to “political cronies.”
Rather than relying on palliatives, the workers urged the Federal Government to adopt measures capable of reducing the cost of living and improving workers’ purchasing power.
They specifically proposed the reduction of petrol prices to N500 per litre, arguing that lower fuel costs would have a multiplier effect on transportation, food prices, production and other sectors of the economy.
The JNPSNC also called for an immediate review of salaries and allowances across the public service, saying the existing remuneration structure no longer adequately reflects prevailing economic realities.
The demand for a new minimum wage negotiation committee ahead of January 2027 also signals growing concern among public-sector workers over the sustainability of the current wage structure amid rising living costs.
The workers urged the President to treat their demands as urgent, warning that failure to address the economic pressures facing workers could further worsen tension across the country.
