Labour, Army Trade Words Over Minimum Wage Reports
- We’ll resist intimidation over minimum wage – Labour warns
- Says under-hand tactics will worsen strike
- Nigerians Army reacts, says it’s false alarm
BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – The Labour Movement has raised an alarm over the visible presence of soldiers at the venue of the meeting between the Organised Labour and Federal Government.
Insider sources hinted that the Labour leaders, who are currently in a meeting with Federal Government’s representatives at the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), are suspicious of the development.
The reliable sources claimed the Organised Labour is worried that this could be government’s subtle way to intimidate their leaders, noting that no matter the intimidation, Labour leaders remain undaunted.
Speaking on condition anonymity, one Trade Union Congress (TUC) Leader informed some journalists in a text message thus; “Maybe you can escalate it. At the moment we are still inside, we don’t know what is happening outside nor do we know the purpose of their gathering or surrounding the premises of the SGF office.”
The SGF, George Akume, had summoned the Organised Labour leadership for a meeting that is connected to the ongoing nationwide strike to address the minimum wage issue.
However, reacting to the story, the Nigerian Army described it as untrue and a false alarm by those behind it.
According to a statement on its X handle, the Army hierarchy said the military personnel seen around the venue are officially-designated escorts of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who is also attending the meeting.
Therefore, it urged Nigerians to “disregard the deliberate and misleading falsehood being peddled about the presence of the escorts at the meeting.”
