Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili has urged President Bola Tinubu and National Assembly leaders to avoid threatening or intimidating labour leaders amid ongoing negotiations over the national minimum wage.
Ezekwesili’s comments come in response to reports that soldiers were surrounding the venue of the meeting between labour leaders and the Federal Government.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) raised concerns about the military presence at the negotiation site via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Soldiers are presently surrounding the venue of the meeting between Labour and Government at the premises of the SGF.”
Ezekwesili reacted to this development by urging labour leaders not to be intimidated by the soldiers’ presence. Posting on X, she expressed her concerns and offered advice to both the government and labour leaders:
“I don’t quite understand this information. Does it mean that the Union Leaders of @NLCHeadquarters and @OfficialTUCN are feeling threatened? If so, that’s definitely not good for the negotiations, @NGRPresident @NigeriaGov @NGRSenate @nassnigeria. Forget intimidating or blackmailing the Labour leaders and negotiators. Adopt confidence-building measures now. That’s the wise way to go. Wisdom is profitable to direct.”
She emphasizes that intimidation tactics are counterproductive and that fostering mutual respect and understanding is essential for successful negotiations.
