TINUBU, A DEMON THAT CLOG THE WHEEL OF OIL & GAS PRORESS IN NIGERIA - TUC

Over the statement made by Asiwaju Hammed Bola Tinubu - the National Leader of the APC- on Friday, during the memorial conference organised in honour of the late Dr. Bala Usman in Kaduna pushing for the removal of subsidy have been condemned by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.

The TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama and Secretary General, Musa Lawal, said it was quite unfortunate and ironic that such statement is made in the 10 years anniversary of late of Dr Bala
Usman, who gave up all privileges in the pursuit of common man’s happiness and that if Bala were "to be alive today, he would fight to ensure that the policy is not abolished without functional refineries.”

The TUC also said that the title given to the conference, “Towards the economic liberation of Nigeria, Bala Usman’s enduring relevance” is indeed a good one, but regretted that it was rather painful that most people now making a case for subsidy removal were the “many demons” that clog the wheel of progress in the oil and gas sector .

TUC said subsidy is an accepted policy the world over targeted at specific items in order to either control the impact of harsh environment so as to benefit of the less privileged or to encourage people into less attractive but important aspects of national economy.

TUC said further that most commodities are normally subsidize in many countries in the world to benefit the masses but that this is not so in Nigeria as the never benefited from such as a result of "the cruel and insensitive posture of successive leadership.”

The Union said further, comrade Dr. Usman stood for the masses until his dying day. "Naturally, Nigerians are not wicked neither are they greedy people. It is the system that has made us what we are today."

“For subsidy it is so far so bad. It has ripped us off our peace, our jobs, properties, infrastructure , medical facility, portable water, and every programmes that benefits the poorest in the country.

“Now that the price of crude oil has dropped, we must begin to use the little money we have more wisely. Let us begin a process of a thoughtful but decisive way of spending our money, and think out of the box rather than take us through another round of avoidable economic and social crises that will result from removal of subsidy.

“That statement was rather unfortunate, coming from the leader of a party that rode to power on the crest of the masses!,” TUC said.