Labour Leaders Walks Out Of Meeting, Accuse FG Of Deceit

A delegation of organised labour on Friday walked out of a meeting with the Federal Government’s team on palliatives at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was a continuation of their deliberations on palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal in the country.

The labour team, which was led by the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, did not speak to journalists as they made their way from the venue of the meeting.

FG’s representatives and that of labour had earlier met on Wednesday with discussions coming out positive.

The government was expected to provide feedback on some of the demands made by labour upon the resumption of the meeting on Friday.

But the meeting could not hold as planned as labour officials claimed that the government’s representatives were not present.

Members of the labour teams were also delayed at the at the State House entrance gate otherwise known as Mopol gate over clearance.

It was gathered that the names of the labour delegation were not sent to the gate for clearance which led to their delay for the meeting.

One of the leaders of the labour delegation had the newsmen at the state house, “We were detained at the gate.”

This pushed the labour union leaders into accusing the federal government of using the meetings as a pretext to deceive Nigerians. A member of the Steering Committee from labour lamented.

“They are not prepared for the meeting. That’s the truth. The government representatives had insisted that the meeting should proceed even though no quorum was formed.

“They are using cover to deceive Nigerians. There are supposed to be three subcommittees, mass transit subcommittee, the CNG, and the cash transfer, to brief us, the steering committee but government was not prepared for the meeting.

“In their introductory remarks they made excuses and they wanted the meeting to continue, the meeting did not form a quorum. We are a people that operate on the basis of process. So, if there’s no quorum in a meeting what do you do? You will adjourn for lack of quorum.

“There was nobody to meet with. The Chief of Staff was not there, they are taking us children.”

It was gathered that the names of the labour delegation were not sent to the gate for clearance which led to their delay for the meeting. One of the leaders of the labour delegation had told journalists, “We were detained at the gate.”