TUC URGES BUHARI TO RELINQUISH PETROLEUM MINISTER POSITION

President Muhammadu Buhari was on Tuesday requested by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to step down as Minister for Petroleum Resources, stressing that the office is too critical to the economy to be combined with the office of the President and Commander-In -Chief.

The congress suggested that the suitable candidate for the job should be someone who has the necessary knowledge, experience and competence that would directly see to the affairs of the ministry and report to the president.

TUC also recommended that while the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources should remain as a junior minister in the ministry, appointment should be made for a different Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to directly supervise the affairs of the NNPC.

The TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, made the call at the “Save Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Round Table Conference in Abuja.

He said, “There is cogent need for appointment of a substantive Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The ideal candidate for this should be someone who has the necessary knowledge, experience and competence, and who would directly oversee the affairs of the ministry and report regularly to the President.

“That position is too critically important to the economy to be subsumed as one of the many offices or portfolios of the President and Commander-in-Chief. Of course the position of Minister of State for Petroleum and Mineral Resources should continue to exist as a junior minister in the ministry. A separate Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) should also be appointed to directly supervise the affairs of the NNPC.”

The TUC boss added that persons of incorruptible record, boldness, sound principles and dedication must be given the opportunity.

Kaigama said the cabals in the sector emerged as a result of corruption in the corporation.

He said, “It is high time we halt the ugly trend whereby members of the cabal are paid billions of naira for ‘fuel imports’ that never reach our shores.”