- Kogi NDLEA arrests suspected Indian hemp dealers
- FG may review Lagos-Ibadan Expressway concession
- Soyinka, Agbeyegbe ask court to void 1999 Constitution
- PDP’ll win Bayelsa, Sokoto, C/River - Jonathan •15,000 security personnel for Bayelsa poll tomorrow
- Salami knows fate as NJC meets Feb 29
- Senate backs post-UTME
- Scrapping of TASUED is unfortunate - Adebanjo
- Committee on police reorganisation meets IGP •Set to flush out bad eggs
- I was bribed to nail Al-Mustapha, says Katako
- Borno Speaker impeached
- Boko Haram: Security beefed up in Lagos
- Husbands petition IGP over wives’ postings
- S/Court ruling: Gov Lamido, others relocate to Abuja
- Ekiti assembly scraps office of minority leader
- Akerele mourns Aluko, Mbu, Dantata •As ex-Ekiti commissioner mourns Aluko
Yar'Adua's inability to meet Jonathan, other dangerous - TUC
Written by Soji-Eze Fagbemi Monday, 01 March 2010
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has described the inability of President Umaru Yar’Adua to meet with the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and communicate his return to the National Assembly, as very dangerous for the country’s fragile democracy, warning that it is not in the best interest of a very tensed and seriously heated polity.
A statement jointly signed by the TUC President, Comrade Peter Esele and the TUC General Secretary, John Kolawole, read: “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) is grateful to God for the return of President Umar Musa Yar’Adua back home after his long sojourn in Saudi Arabia on health grounds.
“We hope that the president's return will put paid to all the rumour mills about the state of his health, since his long absence, as well as the over politicising of the issue, have polarised the National Assembly and the Presidency so much, to the detriment of a visibly fragile democracy.
“While wishing Mr. President speedy recovery, we hope that his health is sufficient to enable him fully resume his official duties. We crave the indulgence of Mr. President to immediately do a nationwide broadcast to the nation on the state of his health and other pressing issues for Nigerians to know that he is indeed back to the country.
“Even if the president and his aides purposely chose the mafia style tactics of his unannounced return to surprise the nation, we in TUC are of the opinion that almost forty eight hours, the president's inability to meet with his acting president and his Federal Executive Council (FEC) and communicate to the National Assembly that he is back; is not in the best interest of a very tensed and seriously heated polity.
“It is pertinent to note, that unless the situation is properly managed, self- serving politicians who have fueled the tension in the polity thus far over this issue, are capable of adding political, sectional, religious connotations to the whole issue and this is capable of causing serious problems for a fragile country and our fragile economy and our overall stability.”