…as Ajaero raises alarm over FG plots to undermine labour
OSAS EMMANUEL
ABUJA, Nigeria – The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said that its leadership will no longer honour any invitation to dialogue with the government team on the eve of any industrial action.
Ajaero said that the Congress, over time have discovered that such invitations do not come in good faith to address their concerns but to serve as a delay tactics in the interest of the government.
He made the declaration on Wednesday while fielding questions from journalists during a press conference at the Labour House, Abuja.
“Henceforth, the NLC will no longer be comfortable attending meetings on the eve of any action. Never again! It was a waste of time, waste of energy and nothing comes from such meetings.
“It was to delay us, to demobilise us, and to make people have the impression that we went there to discuss other issues apart from the issues on ground. This is our new resolve.
“You (FG) can no longer call us for a meeting when we have action tomorrow or next tomorrow, and you delay us till 11pm, 12am in the night, so that we won’t come out to mobilise for action. Such a strategy is obsolete. I think they should adopt new strategies.”
While stressing that the NLC will no longer honour any invitation from the federal government to attend any night meeting ahead of any of its declared nationwide mass actions, Ajaero described the February 26 night meeting as an “obsolete strategy” adopted by the federal government to delay, demobilise and demoralise aggrieved protesters nationwide.
NLC explained that putting an end to such invitations was imperative due to the perception of many Nigerians that the organised labour would be discussing other things with the government officials other than the crux of the matter at hand.
Furthermore, he raised the alarm over the alleged Federal Government desperate efforts to undermine the Congress through divide-and-rule tactics.
This is as he also expressed concern that its headquarters as well as state offices nationwide have been militarised by the federal government, insisting members of the congress won’t be cowed by any threat
Ajaero maintained that the leadership of NLC would only attend meetings with the government officials when actions have not been declared.
“Each time they invite us for meetings, we will attend and listen to them because if we don’t attend, they will blackmail us. You are aware that they held a meeting with us till late on Sunday. While that meeting was on, they wrote letters to all the unions in order to undermine us.
“You’re meeting with the leadership of the NLC, and you’re still inviting every union in the country to undermine us. Even at that meeting, where I was talking, they wanted two of my deputies to be talking, so that we don’t have leaders, but we survived all that.
“There is nothing on earth they have not done to subvert the NLC. Nothing! And we’re still waxing stronger. So, if they invite us for a meeting, we will still go and listen because we have our views, we have our positions, and we will still gently present our positions. We won’t say we’re not going except when we realise that…”
Recall that few hours before the commencement of the two day protest, the federal government through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, invited the leadership of the Congress to a meeting that lasted late at night in a bid to scuttle the rally.
He also said the government is fond of breaching agreements and laws of the land, and that one of the examples was non-functioning of Port Harcourt refinery which it was announced that it would begin operation last year December.
“I was there when President Tinubu, asked the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, about when the refinery would work. As we’re talking, no drop of fuel, PMS, has dropped from that refinery! They should stop lying to people!” Ajaero said.
