The leadership of the Organised Labour have reportedly stormed out of the meeting of the Presidential Steering Committee on subsidy palliatives that was scheduled to take place on Friday at the presidential villa, Abuja.
Recall that the Steering Committee meeting had met with the government delegation on Wednesday where the two parties agreed to reconvene on Friday to get brief from the three subcommittees set up to look into various demands.
The Steering Committee was set up by the government to come up with palliatives that would cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on the workers.
According to Vanguard, the Nigerian Labour Congress’ (NLC) delegation, led by its President, Joe Ajaero, arrived the Chief of Staff’s Conference Room around 5pm but left soon into the proceedings of the meeting, citing the absence of those to to brief.
The Labour team accused the Federal Government of using the meetings as a pretext to deceive Nigerians, claiming that government officials, who are members the subcommittees were nowhere to be found.
A source at the meeting confirmed to Vanguard that three subcommittees, the Mass Transit, the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Cash transfer subcommittees, were supposed to be present to brief the Steering Committee on the measures put in place to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal on the workers, but Labour claimed that government officials, who are members the subcommittees were nowhere to be found.
A visibly infuriated member of the Steering Committee said, “They are not prepared for the meeting. That’s the truth,” maintaining that the government representatives had insisted that the meeting should proceed even though no quorum was formed.
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“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 like small children.”
However, it was reported that the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila had earlier waited for the Labour delegation with other members of the team at his Conference Hall.
He latter stepped out to attend to other official matters within the Villa while other members of the government team were waiting for the Organised Labour to arrive.
It was also reported that the Organised Labour delegation from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), were delayed at the State House entrance gate otherwise known as Mopol gate for clearance.
Vanguard reports that the names of the Labour delegation were not sent to the gate for clearance which led to their delay for the meeting.
