According to the Nigeria Labour Congress, the administrations of Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan were superior to that of Bola Tinubu.
NLC Spokesperson Benson Upah claimed that previous President Buhari was accommodative and did everything within his power to guarantee a stable and happy life in an interview with Daily Trust on Friday.
Upah denounced Tinubu’s elimination of the fuel subsidy and said the president had not considered the ramifications of his decision. The NLC spokesperson also made a comparison between the current government’s exchange rate and that of the Jonathan administration.
What they’re saying
Upah stated, “I keep reminding individuals who claim Buhari is the worst that they are joking. For us at Labour, Buhari was quite accommodating.
“He did everything humanly necessary to ensure that life was stable and enjoyable.When he arrived, he handed money to the states to cover the backlog of salaries and pensions, but it was diverted. He took various measures to prevent the outrageous escalation.
“If you ask the same people today, they will tell you that the Buhari administration was excellent.We’re talking about less than two years ago. Before Buhari came, there was Jonathan.
“We said Jonathan had ruined this country, but today look at the indexes and compare the currency rate, interest rate, and debt. So we’re in a situation where things are becoming worse.
In Essence
Fuel subsidy removal, while seen as a necessary reform by many economists to curtail government spending, has resulted in a sharp rise in fuel prices, which has contributed to inflation and worsened the cost of living for many Nigerians.
The NLC’s stance highlights the immediate hardship felt by the public and workers, who are now facing higher prices without adequate cushioning mechanisms such as wage adjustments or social safety nets.
In comparison, the NLC views Buhari’s administration as more accommodating to labor concerns, particularly because of the efforts to manage the cost of living through interventions like bailouts for states to clear salary arrears.
Although Buhari’s administration was criticized for its handling of the economy, especially with rising debt levels and currency devaluation, the NLC’s reflection indicates that workers experienced less immediate economic shock than they are currently under Tinubu’s leadership.
