NLC Suspends Protests After Meeting Tinubu

Barely 24 hours after embarking on nationwide protests against the removal of fuel subsidy, the Organised Labour has suspended its protest.
This development followed the intervention of President Bola Tinubu and the Senate on Wednesday.
The President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, made this known during an interview with Arise News Television yesterday morning.
He said the labour leaders who met with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday after the protest, extracted some commitments to some of the issues raised during the meeting for immediate implementation.
He explained that the suspension of the protests was based on assurances from the President to meet some of the immediate demands of the labour including the fixing of the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The Tide reports that the nationwide protest which was held across the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, prompted an emergency meeting between the President and the labour leaders.
Initially, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had noted that it would only suspend its protest following a show of seriousness on the side of the government.
During the protest in Abuja on Wednesday, angry protesters pulled down the gates of the National Assembly in a bid to gain access to the premises so as to meet with the lawmakers.
The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, following the meeting with Tinubu, however, said the President had made some commitments.
Recall that the NLC in a press release issued on Tuesday, had announced that it would proceed with the nationwide mass protest as initially planned, following a meeting with the Federal Government that ended in a deadlock.
Ajaero noted that the outcome of the previous meetings with the government did not yield positive changes or concessions that would alter their course of action.
They stressed that they remained steadfast in their commitment to representing the Nigerian workers’ and people’s interests and desires.

By: Boye Salau