President Bola Tinubu is currently in a private meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima and several governors in his office at the State House, Abuja.
According to a reliable source, the meeting began after the president’s inconclusive discussion with organised labour leaders to address matters related to the pending new minimum wage.
The attendees at the meeting include notable governors, such as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Kwara Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Prof. Charles Soludo (Anambra), and Mr. Usman Ododo (Kogi).
Earlier, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, at a briefing with State House correspondents alongside the labour leaders, described the meeting as a father-child discussion, adding that it was a fruitful one.
She said: “It is a fruitful meeting, father-children meeting. I think we are hopeful that very soon everything will be resolved. Of course, when father and children talk, you know what it is. That’s just exactly what has happened. It took us almost about an hour. I believe that it’s all for good.”
NLC President Joe Ajaero said the meeting was not a negotiation but a discussion, but agreement was reached on some basic issues.
He said: “In real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion, and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms and probably reconvene in the next one week.
“So that is where we are. Because we didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo. At least there were some basic issues that we agreed on.”
Asked if organised labour was still insisting on N250,000, Ajaero said: “I remember mentioning that we didn’t go into naria and kobo discussion. Now the status quo in terms of the amounts of N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”
The TUC President, Osifo, responding to a question on what issues they agreed upon, said: “In the meeting, we tried to put the issues on the table. Issues that are bothering and biting Nigerians today include the economic difficulties and the value of naira, how it has also eroded, how these have affected the prices of commodities and goods in the market.
“So, we tried to put these before Mr. President because he is the president of the country and the bulk stops at his table.
“We have had all the conversations with all his agents, but today we said, Let us meet with the father of the country and have this conversation and make the argument that labour always makes. We made all the arguments, the economic analysis, macro, micro, fiscal, and monetary issues.
“So, we put everything forward, and at the end, the president made his remarks as president, and we all agreed, Let’s go back; we will internalize it. We will have some conversations, and by one week time, we will come back and we will continue the meeting.”
Author
Leave a comment