President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night met with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, amid plans by organised labour to stage a nationwide protest over unresolved demands.
The meeting was held at the State House, Abuja, against the backdrop of growing tension between the Federal Government and labour unions over workers’ welfare, rising cost of living and the implementation of previously agreed concessions.
Confirming the meeting in a statement issued on Tuesday night, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said several key stakeholders were in attendance.
According to him, those present included the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo; Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris; and the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with the leadership of the NLC, alongside the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma; Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo; Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Nasir Idris; and the Minister of State for Labour, Honourable Nkeiruka Onyejeocha,” the statement read in part.
The statement added that the Nigeria Labour Congress was led to the meeting by its national leadership.
“The Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, led the labour leaders to the meeting on Tuesday night at the State House, Abuja,” it said.
Kano Times reports that the meeting comes amid the NLC’s recent threat to embark on mass protests nationwide over what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to fully address workers’ demands.
The demands include relief measures to cushion the impact of ongoing economic reforms, wage-related issues and broader socio-economic challenges facing Nigerian workers.
Organised labour had accused the Federal Government of delaying the implementation of agreements reached in previous engagements, warning that continued inaction could spark industrial unrest and street protests across major cities.
As of the time of filing this report, details of the discussions and the outcome of the meeting had not been made public by either the Federal Government or the leadership of the NLC.
