Leaders of the organised labour walked out on the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and other Federal Government’s representatives during a meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last night over the recent fuel price hike.

They said they could no longer bear any attack from the masses as government’s actions had put them at risk.

At the meeting, Trade Union Congress President, Quadri Olaleye said many labour leaders were absent at the meeting because they were afraid of being attacked by the masses again.

NLC Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, later in a chat with reporters, accused the government of insincerity.

He said:

We’ve had several meetings about increment and electricity tariffs. We’ve had some understanding overtime; but while these meetings were still ongoing, we were suddenly slammed with a new increase in petroleum prices and we felt that was beyond what we had as an understanding with the government.

And we felt that should be the first item for understanding today, but surprisingly the government team felt otherwise. They felt the issue of imaginary palliatives should be discussed before what is causing the need for the palliatives, and we felt that was putting the cart before the horse.

We want to address the issue of petroleum pricing before we begin to think of whether there is need for a palliative or not. On that strength, we felt we couldn’t continue with a meeting whose agenda was wrongly prioritised.

When the government is willing to take it the way it is, we’re ever ready to serve our country to engage and to have things properly determined.

On the next line of action, he said:

we have to go back to our organ and agree on the way-forward because we have leadership, we are known and clearly with that position, we have to tell our members what the situation is.

Ngige, however promised to reinvite the labour leaders.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.