President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night held a closed-door meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, at the State House, Abuja, in a last-minute move to avert the union’s proposed nationwide protest over insecurity.
The NLC had earlier fixed Dec. 17 for a nationwide protest, citing what it described as a worsening security situation across the country.
The meeting was led by the NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, who arrived with other labour leaders for consultations with the President.
After the engagement, Ajaero told State House correspondents that the NLC had not yet taken a final decision on whether the protest would proceed as planned.
“I’m not insisting. I will communicate to you,” he said, eve as he emphasised that decisions within the NLC are reached collectively, stressing that no single individual determines the union’s actions.
“It is not an organisation that one person rules. Let’s go back now. You have a meeting of labour and the governors’ forum,” Ajaero said.
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He explained that the NLC leadership would review the President’s comments before taking a position.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board, digest all that Mr President said to us, and move forward from there,” he added.
Ajaero said the NLC leadership would reconvene early on Wednesday to assess the outcome of the meeting and decide on the next course of action.
“We came for consultation with the President, and we are finished. So, we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow,” he said.
He added that the outcome of the deliberations would be made known on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the All-Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma; the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo; the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris; and the Minister of State for Labour, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
The NLC is expected to announce on Wednesday whether the planned nationwide protest will proceed or be suspended.
NAN
