A file picture of labour leaders at a meeting with the federal government representatives
BY Ayomikunle Daramola
The meeting between representatives of the federal government and those of organised labour on the petrol price hike ended in Abuja on Wednesday without a resolution.
The leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) represented organised labour at the meeting held at the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).
There has been a growing dissatisfaction among Nigerians over the rising cost of living and the recent hike in the price of petrol across the country.
Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, told journalists that the meeting was a renewed commitment by the government to keep engaging organised labour.
He said the government will not wait till there is tension in the country before meeting with the organised labour.
The minister, however, did not reveal the issues discussed during the meeting when asked by journalists.
“A lot of things were discussed, but like I said, this is a work in progress, this is something that isn’t a one-off thing, but we have not reached anything that we think that we can tell Nigerians now,” he said.
“But what is more important is that there’s going to be continuous engagement between us and Labour for the good of the country.
“This is our continuous engagement with labour for the good of the country. You know that labour is an important component of this country; all of them are our brothers and sisters. The government is there for everyone, including Labour, so we will continue to engage labour for the good of the country.”
The meeting, which lasted for hours, was attended by Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, minister of state for labour and employment; Wale Edun, minister of finance; and Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA).
Others were Heineken Lokpobiri, state minister of petroleum (oil); Ekperikpe Ekpo, state minister for petroleum resources (gas); and representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited.
On the part of organised labour were Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC; Kabiru Sani, deputy president; Emma Ugboaja, general secretary; Tommy Okon, deputy president of the TUC; and Nuhu Toro, secretary general.
The meeting was adjourned, but a new date was not communicated to the parties involved.
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