Fuel price hike: Presidency, NLC clash over minimum wage negotiation

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Presidency, on Wednesday traded words over what transpired during the negotiation of minimum wage at Aso Rock Villa, which later produced N70,000 for workers.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, had on Tuesday, while reacting to the latest increase in price of Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol said President Bola Tinubu deceived them during the negotiation.

The labour leader specifically said Tinubu told both the NLC and TUC leaderships during the negotiation to pick either N250,000 and increase in price of fuel or accept N70,000 and allow the price of fuel remain the same.

However, in a reaction on Wednesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, described Ajaero’s claims as “false”, arguing that Tinubu never made such an offer to the organised labour.

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The presidential spokesman, who claimed that he was at the meeting throughout the period of negotiation, lampooned the NLC President, saying Ajaero had started playing “dirty politics” with the emotions of Nigerians.

Abdulaziz said, “I sat through the two meetings President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had with Labour leaders on minimum wage.

“At neither of the meetings was an offer made in exchange of fuel price hike. Ajaero is once again playing his dirty politics with the emotions of Nigerians”.

But Ajaero in his reply, maintained that the labour movement stood by its earlier disclosure that the President betrayed them, and Nigerians at large for offering them those two options.

Ajaero, who reacted through NLC spokesman, Benson Upah, said, “We find amusing the denial of Abdulaziz. We have since asked ourselves if he is suffering from selective amnesia or attention span deficit.

“However, not satisfied with his dubious denial, he elected to take a side dig at Comrade Joe Ajaero as ‘…once again playing his dirty politics with the emotions of Nigerians’

“Whatever the matter is with Abdulaziz, we stand by our statement. And if Abdulaziz was at those meetings as he claimed, he should be courageous enough to let the world know whether the President gave the labour leaders one hour to meet and resolve to either accept and allow increase or accept N62,000.

“Labour leaders instead chose to meet outside the Villa and reported in a week. When they came back, they were blunt and rejected the offer.

“As for Abdulaziz’s side-dig, he should stop insulting the intelligence of Nigerians as they do not need Comrade Joe Ajaero to know they have been taken for a ride and that life has never been this mean, all due to the policies of government.

“We also find it necessary to let Abdulaziz and those who sent him know that Nigerians are entitled to a decent, respectable life free from harassment, intimidation and starvation.

“Government may have all the ultimate weapons of coercion, true power resides with the people. Finally, we are also acutely conscious of the fact that falsehood does not live forever,” Upah said.