Kelvin Bowoto
The statewide rallies against rising hunger and poverty in the country have pitted the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, against the Senior Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who have both exchanged angry remarks.
The scene was Channels Television’s current affairs program “Politics Today” on Wednesday, following the NLC’s two-day statewide demonstration on Tuesday, which did not continue on Wednesday since Labour had suspended it.
The protest was called to show the people’s dissatisfaction and tremendous suffering caused by the Tinubu administration’s termination of gasoline subsidies in May 2023, which resulted in fast and exorbitant hikes in the cost of food and other necessary commodities.
The government also floated the Nigerian currency, the Naira, but the value has plummeted to the point where it was around N1,800 to a dollar on the parallel market three days ago, worsening the situation for Nigerian residents.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, our correspondent, Ajaero, said that President Tinubu’s government has not been honest in implementing the agreements signed with labour unions in October, which include 15 issues.
Ajaero stated that the government has not been consistent in paying the agreed-upon wage award, pointing out that in certain cases, the government paid federal employees for one or two months.
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He went on to say, “From the unions, you can do analysis. The key one that everybody seems to be talking about is the wage award, and between September, October, November, and December of January, we are now in February; only one month was paid; some people got two months; and between the last time we gave an ultimatum, the people they paid are not out 40% of the federal parastatals, ministries, and agencies of government.”
Although the Trade Union Congress (TUC), another significant branch of the Labour movement, refused to join the protest, Ajaero emphasized that the statewide hunger strike was effective and that the NLC has issued another 14-day ultimatum to the government, which would expire on March 13, 2024.
However, reacting to the demonstration on Channels TV’s “Politics Today,” Onanuga accused Ajaero of changing the goalposts and threatening the administration since the October accord.
He stated, “I can assure you that the federal government has substantially implemented the wage award.” You may observe the TUC’s decision to withdraw from the protest because the government has substantially followed the agreed-upon terms.”
He stated that, despite an initial delay in the implementation of the wage award, the president intervened and handled the issue, adding that the N35,000 wage award payment was made and individuals received their money.
The former managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) added that the agreement also includes the procurement of CNG buses, which are now being produced, and that the vehicles will be available by the end of May. He went on to say that the Tinubu administration is also working on bringing in approximately 10,000 additional automobiles.
He branded Ajaero as “a very unreasonable labour leader,” accusing him of introducing things that were not part of the October agreement and emphasizing that the NLC chairman had “no point in calling people on the streets.”
Techrectory with Agency Report.
