Osifo: Labour Has Called Off Protest, Ready To Give Government Benefit of the Doubt

The president of the Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, said  Wednesday that President Bola Tinubu called for a meeting, and he was told frankly that “the committee that was proposed on the 19th of June had not made sufficient traction, and most of the input the Nigeria Labour Congress wanted has not come to pass.” 

He further expressed that the NLC gave themselves an 8-week mandate that, from June 19th to August 19th, the entire issue would be dispensed with.

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Osifo said they informed President Bola Tinubu that his broadcast was received but that the palliatives he offered were not far-reaching.

 He said the timeline on some of those deliverables were not appealing because there is an urgent need for things to be done almost immediately. One of the things that can be almost immediately attended to is the issue of wages.

Osifo added that the issue of the non-functional refineries was brought up at the meeting with the president, and he assured them that by the end of the year, the refineries, at least the old Port Harcourt refinery, will become functional.

He complained that it was no longer the secretary to the government of the federation George Akume who was handling their negotiations but rather the chief of staff to the president Femi Gbajabiamila. 

Making it clear, he said, “We don’t have any problem with the chief of staff personally, but we felt that the chief of staff is extremely busy, so the president should give us someone who will be ready and available so we can dispense with all these as soon as possible”.

The President of the TUC concluded the interview by saying that if the government does not hold up its end of the bargain, a series of meetings with all the Labour Union bodies will have to come together and conclude on the next line of action to push the government into action.

Catherine Amaga

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