NIGERIA - CONFUSION AS FG AND LABOUR MEET OVER FUEL PRICE HIKE

There was a mild drama on Monday at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) during a meeting convened between the organised labour and the Federal Government to resolve the brewing crisis caused by hike in fuel price when the leadership of labour threatened to boycott the meeting if the factional leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was allowed to be part of the meeting.

The meeting earlier slated for 3:00pm did not start until 7:10pm when the SGF led other members of the negotiating team to the conference hall.

The government delegation was led by the SGF, David Lawal and it included Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kackukwu, Minister of State for Solid Minerals, Abubakar Bawa Bwari, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang.

The labour delegation included President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, President of the Trade Union Congress, Bobboi Kaigama, General Secretaries of both the NLC and TUC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson and Comrade Simeso Amachree, Deputy President of the NLC and TUC, Najim Yaseem and Austin Etafo and the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson.

However, the factional leader of the NLC, Ajaero and his deputy, who is also the president of NUPENG, Igwe Achese, who were present at the SGF office were not allowed into the meeting as they were asked to stay out and await their turn to meet with the government team.

The president of NLC and TUC led out their team from the conference hall of the SGF office, insisting that Ajaero and his team should not be part of the meeting since the issue for discussion was not about electricity and pleas by Dr. Kachikwu to get them into the meeting proved abortive.

Addressing the meeting before going into a closed door section, the SGF said the decision to deregulate the petroleum sector was taken in the best interest of Nigerians, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari empathizes with Nigerians over the short time consequences of the decision.

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