Fuel Price Hike: TUC Slams Buhari Over Saudi Arabia-Nigeria Comparison

The President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Quadri Olaleye, has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for comparing Nigeria with Saudi Arabi while delivering his Independence Day message to Nigerians on the 1st of October.

Reacting to the president's comment in a statement on Thursday, Olaleye said the comparison was uncalled for as Nigeria was not on the same level with Saudi Arabia and other countries that Buhari made reference to.

Olaleye who said the comparison made by Buhari was like comparing white to black held that the country had achieved nothing in six decades despite its engagement in oil exploration.

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Further alleging that the government was paying lip service to infrastructure development, the TUC president said that successive governments had looted, laundered, and wasted the country’s resources while patronizing hospitals outside the country.

 “It is like comparing black and white. It is that bad!

“It is ridiculous to compare Nigeria with Saudi, Dubai, or any other country, not even in Africa. With the natural resources that we have, we could rule the world, but the government is not interested. There is no need for this comparison because it looks like the president is defending fraud and the impoverishment of Nigerians.

“Come to think of it, what has Nigeria achieved with all the money made from oil since over six decades of oil exploration in commercial quality? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. All successive leaderships have done is loot, launder, and buy properties in a foreign land.

“So, if the president is defending the hike (in pump price), what does he want to do with the surplus they will make from the hike? The same old story of providing infrastructure! Our roads are nothing but death traps. Our leaders are not patriotic at all,” Olaleye said.

He argued that in Saudi Arabia, roads, water, and to some extent, jobs were not big issues.

“On the other hand, Nigerians contend with estimated bills because power firms had refused to provide meters,” Olaleye added.

It will be recalled that Buhari while delivering the Independence day speech said that it makes no sense for Fuel to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia.