The Federal Government is currently having a make or mar emergency meeting with the organised labour unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to avert the planned two-day national protests over the debilitating hardship experienced by Nigerians.
The closed-door meeting is being hosted by the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
Mr Segun Imohiosen, Director,
Information in OSGF, confirmed that the meeting is holding and declined further
comments.
NLC had maintained that it would not back
down on the nationwide protest billed to hold on Tuesday and Wednesday
respectively.
It stood
its ground despite a series of warnings from various quarters to shelve the
action in the interest of peace.
First to
give warning was the Department of State Services, which said, through its
spokesman, Peter Afunanya, that the organised labour should negotiate with the
government officials rather than embarking on an action that might affect
national security.
In the same
vein, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, said the action
of the organised labour would be contemptuous if they embarked on the protest,
citing two ex parte orders previously granted by the National Industrial Court.
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But members
of the organised labour and some civil society organisations, maintained that
no level of blackmail, threats or warning from the government would make them
to back down on their decision, saying the protest would be peaceful.
The Head of Information, NLC headquarters, Benson
Upah, confirmed that members of the Congress were mobilising across the States,
insisting that they have been working through the weekend to fine-tune how
peaceful the protest would be.
“What I can
tell you is that, mobilisation is going on with high spirits. We had commenced
mobilisation since February 22 when the ultimatum expired. We’re working
through the weekend to ensure that things are put in place,” Upah told our
correspondent in a telephone interview.
It was reported that the protest, billed to hold across 36 States of the federation and
the Federal Capital Territory simultaneously would be led by the President of
NLC, Joe Ajaero,
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