The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it will consult its internal organs before taking a final decision on its proposed nationwide protest following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, which lasted less than an hour, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the labour movement would brief its leadership structures and deliberate on the assurances given by the President before announcing its next steps.
“We came for consultation with the President and we are finished, so we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow. By tomorrow, we will get the outcome,” Ajaero said.
Asked whether the planned protest would still hold, the labour leader declined to give a definite answer, stressing that the NLC is a collective organisation.
“If I’m insisting or I’m not insisting, I will communicate to you. The NLC is not an organisation that one person rules. We’ll go back to the drawing board and digest all that Mr President said to us, and move forward from there,” he added.
Ajaero explained that the NLC’s National Executive Council as well as its state councils would consider the President’s assurances before a final position is made public later on Wednesday.
Also present at the meeting was Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who said discussions between the Federal Government and labour leaders were ongoing.
“Consultation is going on. We were dialoguing. At the end of the day, you will know what you are supposed to know and what you want to know,” Uzodimma said, adding that all parties were committed to serving the nation.
The Minister of State for Labour, Mrs Nkiruka Onyejeocha, said the meeting was held at the request of NLC leaders and members, noting that they were pleased to have engaged directly with the President.
According to her, the labour leaders acknowledged the President’s efforts at stabilising the economy, describing the engagement as a positive development.
Tuesday’s meeting comes amid ongoing consultations by organised labour over a possible nationwide strike and protest triggered by economic hardship and wage-related demands. In recent weeks, the Presidency and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have intensified engagements with union leaders, urging dialogue as an alternative to industrial action.
