•Ngige: Government to lay bare finances,
challenges at meeting
By Omololu Ogunmade
The federal government has agreed to meet with
members of the organised labour next Tuesday as
a fallout of the recent hike in the pump price of
petrol and electricity tariff and the general state of
the economy.
Speaking with reporters after a meeting with
President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House,
the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris
Ngige, said the government would show its entire
records of finance to the organised labour.
He said the government would also explain its
challenges to the labour bodies and listen to their
grievances.
According to him, all institutions handling the
finances of the government, the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and
their affiliates would be at the meeting.
“The president has approved for us to have a
bigger government side-meeting with the organised
private labour; all the government institutions that
have to do with the finances of government will be
there so that we meet with them and show them
the books.
“So, the invitation is going out to them this
afternoon (yesterday) – to the Nigeria Labour
Congress, the Trade Union Congress and their
affiliates or supporters and friends in the civil
society organisations.
“So, I will relate more with the Chief of Staff to the
president and the leadership of the unions today so
that we can do this meeting