President Muhammadu Buhari May have lost the confidence of the Nigerian workers.
Reason: Angry federal workers under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday prevented President Buhari, who was represented at the 2017 May Day rally by Labour Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, from addressing them, and in effect chased the President out of the event venue.
The event started on a smooth note with speeches from some Labour leaders and government representatives. However, trouble broke out when the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs. Abiola Bawa, took the podium to deliver Ngige’s speech. The arrangement, apparently, was for Ngige, as President Buhari’s representative, to deliver the President’s speech thereafter.
Curiously however, the workers insisted that the permanent secretary cannot deliver Ngige’s speech. A stalemate ensure during which several appeals were made to the workers to back down, to no avail. After about 45 minutes, Ngige himself took the podium to speak but was shouted down. Eventually, the President’s representative was forced to return to his seat in the VIP section of the Eagle Square.
To douse the escalating tension, labour leaders and government officials turned to former Governor of Edo State cum ex-NLC President, Adams Oshiomhole. It was a grave error as the workers verbally abused Oshiomhole, calling him unprintable names. A humiliated Oshiomhole was also forced to return to his seat also in the VIP section.
A spirited attempt by security forces led by the Police to bring the situation under control by application of force and intimidation was met with counter force and defiance by the charged workers.
Sensing dangers, all dignitaries in the VIP section, including Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Eyo-Ita and Chairman Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, fled the Eagles Square through the back exits amid abusive words and some cudgels thrown by the angry workers.
Thereafter, the workers settled down to hold their match past, with labour leaders taking their salutes as the workers filed past the podium.
See Photos Below:
Leave a Reply