Trade Union Congress (TUC) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to quit the position of Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

The labour explained that its advise was based on the fact that the office is too critical to the economy to be combined with the office of the President and Commander-In -Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces.

According to TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, the perfect candidate for the job should have the knowledge, experience, who should supervise the ministry and report to Mr President.

“There is urgent need for the 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 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 the 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.”

Kaigama said all the appointees must be persons of bold, incorruptible and sound principles, adding that the cabals in the sector emerged due to corruption.

“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,” he said.

On his part, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said Nigeria is the worst case scenario in the management of oil and gas wealth in the world.

He told a story of his colleague in Ghana who said his country is guarding against the Nigerian experience in her fledging oil sector.

Wabba noted said the problem in the oil and gas industry is not lack of law but adherence to the laws.

He advised Nigerians to oppose anyone that violates the law, adding that he refused to pay N200 per liter for the  petrol he bought  in a station in Kaduna State two weeks ago because the pump price is N86 per litre.

TheStreetReporters.com is your BREAKING NEWS platform.