The Nigeria Labour Congress has officially confirmed the suspension of its planned strike following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu and the Senate.
Top Society had reported on Wednesday that there was a face-off at the National Assembly in Abuja between security officials and protesters, who tried to prevent them from gaining access to the complex.
The protesters in reaction, pulled down the gates and flooded the premises. It took the timely intervention of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who entered into a closed-door session and upon his emergence from the emergency meeting with his colleagues, announced a meeting between a three-man committee set up by the Senate and the protesters.
On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu also met with executive members of the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa Abuja and only thirty minutes in the President’s office.
The outcome of the meeting was made known by the Presidency on Wednesday evening, after President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake said the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress led by Comrade Joe Ajaero, and that of the Trade Union Congress, Festus Usifo, would suspend the ongoing nationwide protests after meeting President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
“Consequent upon the fruitful and frank discussion with President Tinubu and their confidence in his ability to encourage open and honest consideration of all the issues put forward by the Labour Movement, the Labour leaders resolved to stop further protest,” a statement signed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, read late Wednesday.
The organized Labour Union also confirmed this to its members and citizens, based on the meeting with President Tinubu who had vowed immediate implementation to some of the issues raised during the meeting by the Labour leaders.
The labour centre is expected to brief the public shortly.
Recall that organised labour had embarked on a nationwide protest to kick against the removal of fuel subsidy, with its attendant hardship on the people in the country, despite offer of palliatives by the president in his nationwide broadcast on Monday, which they considered not far-reaching enough.