‘Everybody Is Their Enemy’ – NLC Blasts Tinubu Govt

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of being disconnected from organised labour, alleging that the Federal Government has failed to meaningfully engage with the congress.

Naija News reports that Ajaero made the allegation during the latest episode of the Mic On Podcast on Saturday, while recalling the circumstances that led to the NLC’s nationwide protest planned for December 2025.

The NLC president said the labour movement made several attempts to open discussions with the Federal Government but received no response.

According to him, the congress wrote to Tinubu between May and December 2025 but received no response, prompting the NLC to announce a nationwide protest.

Ajaero said, “For the past two to three years, it’s not government that is engaging. This government doesn’t engage.

“It’s only when people engage; they now say A, B, C, D. So they are aloof.”

He said the labour union eventually announced plans to take its grievances to the streets after its attempts at dialogue failed.

“By December 17, 2025, we pulled out that we were going to the streets. After writing a letter from May to December to the president and there was no response, we fixed that date that we were going to the streets,” he said.

Ajaero said the planned demonstration eventually led to an intervention by some state governors, who facilitated discussions between the labour leadership and the Federal Government.

“And after that, some governors intervened, and we had an interface. So some governors met with us, and since that time, we have talked once or twice,” he said.

He, however, claimed that many of the issues raised by the NLC remained unresolved.

“And those issues, from December last year to now, they are just doing their business,” he said.

Ajaero added, “Everybody is their enemy.”