NLC President Joe Ajaero Meets Tinubu on Nationwide Protests, Yet to Confirm Next Move

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

Ahead of its planned nationwide protest over rising insecurity across the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tiesday night.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the meeting, held on Tuesday night at the State House in Abuja, was aimed at persuading the labour union to shelve the protest scheduled for today.

The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, led the labour leadership to the meeting with the Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo; the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris; and the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

When questioned by State House correspondents after the meeting on whether the nationwide protest would still go ahead as planned, Ajaero declined to give a definitive answer.

He said the decision was not his alone to make, noting that the NLC is a collective organisation.

“If I’m insisting, I’m not insisting. I will communicate to you. It is not an organisation that one person rules. We will go back to the drawing board, digest all that Mr President has said to us, and move forward from there,” Ajaero stated.

He added that the NLC leadership would reconvene early on Wednesday to deliberate further.

“We came for consultation with the President, and we are finished. We will go back to our meeting and continue tomorrow. By tomorrow, we will get the outcome,” he said.

As of press time, OTN News reports that the NLC is still being expected to announce whether the nationwide protest will proceed or be called off.

Meanwhile, OTN News further repoets that security agencies across the country have deployed special forces and tactical units ahead of today’s nationwide protest organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The Police Force confirmed to newsmen their readiness to maintain law and order during the demonstrations, warning that they would not tolerate any acts of violence, vandalism or attempts by miscreants and political hirelings to hijack the rallies.

The nationwide protest, which is expected to take place across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was called by the NLC in response to what it described as escalating insecurity, unresolved labour issues, rising cost of living and the government’s failurye to protect lives and livelihoods.