The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, has said that there is an attempt by the federal government to muzzle the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Osifo, who is also the president of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics on Wednesday.
He was answering questions on the invitation of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, by the police over allegations bordering on terrorism financing and others.
The invitation has raised some dust, with the union threatening to shut down the country if its leader is arrested.
Osifo said, “There was a response from our lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), saying the government should tell us what the offences of Ajaero are. They should open up much more. Nigerians need to know because the way it is being perceived generally is that you are muzzling the labour movement; you are trying to cow the labour movement.
“That response was apt. It is key. Joe Ajaero is not representing himself. Everything he is doing he is trying to represent the labour congress. For us, we will continue to advocate and force the government to do what is right in order to move forward.”
Osifo urged that Nigeria must focus on oil reserves to end fuel scarcity in the country.
He added the problem would persist since the government had failed to address the issue.
According to him, even if petrol queues end now, there is no guarantee that they will not come back in a month’s, since the sector is facing serious challenges.
