The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has taken a decisive stance against what it perceives as a tactic to undermine its planned industrial actions. President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, declared that the congress would no longer participate in late-night meetings with the Federal Government, asserting that such gatherings were often used to derail scheduled protests or strikes.
Ajaero emphasized this stance during a press conference in Abuja, highlighting concerns that these meetings created a misleading impression and diverted attention from the core issues at hand. He stated, “Henceforth, the NLC will no longer be comfortable attending meetings on the eve of any action. Never again!”
The decision comes in response to what the NLC views as attempts by the Federal Government to stall or undermine their protests. Ajaero criticized the government’s strategy as “obsolete” and accused officials of employing divisive tactics to weaken the NLC’s resolve.
Despite this stance, Ajaero affirmed that the NLC would continue to engage with government officials under appropriate circumstances, stating, “Each time they invite us for meetings, we will attend and listen to them because if we don’t attend, they will blackmail us.”
The NLC’s resolve was further solidified by allegations of government interference during Tuesday’s nationwide protests. Ajaero claimed evidence of outside agents mobilized to incite violence against peaceful demonstrators, calling attention to what he described as militarization of routes leading to the NLC office.
Regarding specific grievances, Ajaero pointed to the government’s alleged breach of agreements, citing the non-functioning of the Port Harcourt refinery despite promises of operation. He criticized the government for failing to deliver on its commitments, stating, “They should stop lying to people.”
The NLC’s decision to suspend late-night meetings with the Federal Government reflects growing tensions between labor unions and the government over perceived infringements on workers’ rights and the failure to address key issues, including fuel subsidy and refinery operations.
In response to these developments, the Federal Government has yet to issue an official statement.
