Buhari Govt Reschedules Meeting With NLC, TUC, Others

The Muhammadu Buhari-led government has shifted its meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to Tuesday.

In a message on Saturday, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, announced the new date.

He also disclosed that the meeting would hold at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“The meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday, 15th Sept at 10 am. The venue is Banquet Hall of Presidential Villa. This is to accommodate all participants,” the message read.

Speaking in an interview with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige had stated that the meeting will discuss ways to end incessant industrial actions by workers.

The government official stated that he was in the State House to brief Buhari on the recent strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

Ngige said, “The President has approved for us to have a bigger government side meeting with the organised labour.

“All government institutions that have to do with the finances of government will join us to meet with them and show them the books.

“So, the invitation is going out to them this afternoon (Friday), the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and their affiliates or supporters and friends in the Civil Society Organisations.

“The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday), so, I will relate more with the Chief of Staff to the President and the leadership of the unions today so that we do this meeting tomorrow.”

But the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, had said on Friday that the leadership of the congress would not attend the discussion because it was too sudden.

Wabba had stated that the short notice given for the meeting by the government made it impossible for labour leaders who are spread in different locations to attend.