The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has faulted the comparison between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia made by President Muhammadu Buhari in his Independence Day address to Nigerians.

The Union said it is ridiculous to compare Nigeria with Saudi Arabia, Dubai, or any other country, not even in Africa.

President Buhari, while reading his address to commemorate Nigeria’s 60th-anniversary ceremony on October 1, compared the oil prices in some countries to that of Nigeria which is sold at N161 per litre.

While citing prices for oil prices in neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger, Ghana, Buhari noted that Saudi Arabia charges N168 per litre and claimed that “it makes no sense for oil to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia.”

The President, TUC, Quadri Olaleye, in a statement on Thursday, said the comparison was unnecessary as Nigeria was not at par in all ramifications with Saudi Arabia and other countries mentioned.

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Olaleye also accused the president of defending fraud and the impoverishment of Nigerians.

He said that the country had achieved nothing despite six decades of oil exploration, adding that the past Government had looted, laundered and wasted the country’s resources while acquiring properties outside the country.

Olaleye said, “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.”

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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.