The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,TUC,has implored the federal government to make good its threat to name and prosecute oil thieves plundering the nation’s commonwealth.
President of the union,Comrade Festus Osifo,who disclosed this in a statement to mark Nigeria’s 62nd independence anniversary, expressed disgust that nobody has ever been punished for stealing the oil of Nigerians.
Nigeria is among the top oil producing countries in the world, he said ,but the country does not know the exact quantum of barrels produced per day.
He also regretted that Nigeria can not refine its crude locally, which invariably frustrate Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and export jobs.
He added:”Similarly, daily, our government decries the spate of oil theft and pipeline vandalism which has affected the daily production and reduced it to less than a million barrel per day. It is disgusting that nobody has ever been punished for such criminality against Nigerians.
“It will be right to opine that the government know those perpetrating the crime as it has severally threatened to name individuals and organizations behind such heinous acts, we urge government to expedite action towards exposing these culprits”
He said that currently,corruption, insecurity, high cost of living, decayed infrastructure, etc., has practically eroded the gains of the nation’s heroes past.
He said favoritism and nepotism have been enthroned as the driving factors in placing people into leadership positions instead of knowledge, character and willpower; adding the development t is one amongst several factors that is responsible for where Nigeria find itself currently.
Quoting the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS),he said the unemployment rate has hit 33.30 % and inflation rate has increased to 20.52% in August 2022.
He said the misery index, has gone beyond the roof just as maternal mortality rate and number of out of school children are freighting.
He added:” One can safely conclude that these are some of the factors responsible for the Insecurity challenges that has paralyzed our economy and no positive and practical steps are being taken in addressing it”
He lamented the prolonged between the federal government and university teachers,saying the ugly trend must be put to a halt.
He implored the federal Government and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that Nigerians have a credible election in 2023, and ensure that votes of Nigerians count.
He added:”The 2023 elections is another litmus test for the present administration.The Congress wishes to congratulate Nigerians for their resilience, patience despite the hunger and high cost of living. Politicians deliberately choose to impoverish us, but there is always a time to say enough is enough, and the time is now through our votes .Never again shall four men sit in a room to choose who will preside over Nigeria.
“The scales have fallen off the eyes of the masses, and they can now see clearly. We can see a better Nigeria where the children of nobody can become somebody; Nigeria belong to all of us.Finally, we are desirous together with our allies, civil society and informal workforce to change the narrative, and have resolved not to trade our welfare for anything anymore”