The disagreement between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Wednesday snowballed
into a major confrontation with the labour movement mobilising workers and
tanker drivers to barricade the private residence of the minister in Asokoro,
Abuja.
Following the protest at the minister's residence, which
resulted in a fracas leaving some persons wounded, the NLC convened an
emergency meeting of its Central Working Committee to deliberate on the matter.
Speaking in a telephone interview, the General Secretary of
NLC, Mr. Peter Ezo Esson, said the Congress was summoning "an emergency
meeting for Thursday to discuss the
latest development" regarding its demand for the inauguration of the board
of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund and recognition of Frank Kokori as
its chairman.
While given an account of what happened, the minister's Media aide said Wabba later
left and returned with re-enforcement .
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Assistant
to the Minister on Media Nwachukwu Obidiwe, he said the private residence of
the Minister was invaded in the early
morning (4 a.m.) by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade
Ayuba Waba and his members .
He said the workers among whom are tanker drivers, some with
ferocious looks, also barricaded the gate to the resident of the Minister with
two long trucks.
"They chanted war songs and prevented the Minister, his wife, children and other aides
from either leaving or gaining access to the compound," he said.
The minister's aide said the presence of these strange faces
and their chanting of war songs by the invading NLC members sent heavy panic on
the family members, especially children and female aides who thought the sudden
early morning assemblage were of the underworld.
"Some of these unknown faces and the two tanker lorries
blocking the entrance to the house are
still there as I send this press statement .
"I therefore wish to state that contrary to reports
being mischievously circulated in the media by the NLC President, the minister,
family members who are still in great trauma and his staff members did not
invited thugs, have no knowledge of it, or
have a hand in the alleged manhandling of any worker," he said.
The protest however came to abrupt end when some young men
came to the scene and chased the NLC members away.
This caused pandemonium as the NLC-led protesters tried
initially to resist the fiece-looking youths and this resulted in some persons
sustaining injuries.
THISDAY learnt that the NLC president had to intervene to
pull back the protesting members.
Also THISDAY gathered that the two tankers in front of the minister's gate were
removed from the minister's gate at about 4 p.m.
The Minister had earlier told journalists on telephone that his
house at Asokoro in Abuja has been under siege by a group of people, including
tanker drivers.
Ngige who spoke to reporters at 8 a.m from his house, said
that as early as 4 a.m, some persons, including two tankers arrived his
residence, led by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and blocked his gate.
Ngige said: “Wabba led tanker drivers this morning to block
my private residence by 4a.m.," he said.
, NLC members could be seen in front the Minister's gate
chanting solidarity songs and demanding his resignation.
Also, two heavy duty tankers were parked in front of the
gate.
Both the minister and the NLC leadership have been engaged
in a running battle over the non inauguration of the board of e Nigeria Social
Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) with the labour activist, Frank Kokori as its
chairman.
While the ministry said that federal government has approved
the replacement of Kokori, with another person to ensure neutrality, NLC
president and other affiliate union insisted that it must be Kokori or nothing.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Wabba had threatened that
NLC will picket all Ngige interests beginning from Wednesday.
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