CITIZENS COMPASS – FEW days after it suspended its one day industrial action over removal of fuel subsidy, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Monday, shed light on its private meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja last Wednesday.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero disclosed this on Monday, August 7, 2023.
Ajaero, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the President attempted to reduce the presidential fleet, among other decisions aimed at reducing the cost of governance.
Asked if the labour leaders demanded government officials must also tighten their proverbial belts, Ajaero said that line of questioning led to Tinubu’s rationale for his staff size which has been a source of criticism.
According to the NLC president, Tinubu argued that rather than subscribe to complaints over hiring numerous Senior Advisers (SAs) and “SAs to SAs”, the unionists should consider the hires in the light of job creation.
He (Tinubu) took his own case for example. He told us that if you come to his fleet of cars, that it was large and he made efforts to reduce it and he was told that it’s a security issue,” Ajaero recounted.
“He equally went further to say that he prefers to use his own private jet and they told him no, it’s a security issue, he must use the government jet. And he went further to say, even himself, that he’s using only a two-bedroom flat.
“That he’s trying as much as possible to tighten his belt and he will try as much as possible to talk to his people working with him. So, I don’t know what that means.”
Meanwhile, The Federal Government has withdrawn its contempt suit against organised labour in light of last Wednesday’s nationwide protests against the high cost of living.
The suit accused the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria of resisting an order restricting the unions from embarking on industrial action.
Ajaero stated that the National Executive Committee of the NLC had resolved to take further action on the position of the Industrial Court and Ministry of Justice through the Solicitor General of the Federation
