Ajaero, Onanuga Clash Over Hunger Protests

The nationwide protests over the increasing hunger and poverty in the country has pitted the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero and the Senior Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga as both exchanged harsh words.

The setting was the current affairs programme of Channels Television “Politics Today” on Wednesday, following the 2-day nationwide protest organized by the NLC on Tuesday, which did not continue on Wednesday because Labour suspended the protest.

The protest was called to demonstrate the people’s discomfort and massive suffering following the removal of fuel subsidy by the Tinubu administration in May 2023, which brought sharp and high increases in the prices of food and other essential commodities.

The government also floated the Nigerian currency, the Naira but the currency has witnessed a free fall such that three days ago it was about N1, 800 to a dollar at the parallel market, a situation that worsened the situation for the Nigerian citizens.

Speaking during a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, monitored on Channels by our correspondent, Ajaero, noted that the government of President Tinubu has not been sincere in implementing the agreements reached with the labour unions in October which contains 15 items.

Ajaero said the government has not been consistent in paying the wage award that was agreed upon stressing that in some instances, the government paid federal workers one or two months.

He said, “From the unions you can do analysis the key one that everybody seems to be talking about is the wage award and between September, October, November, December January we are now in February, only one month was paid, some people got two months, and between the last time we gave ultimatum, the people they paid are not out 40% of the federal parastatals, ministries and agencies of government.”

Although the Trade Union Congress (TUC) another important arm of the Labour movement refused to join the protest, Ajaero pointed out that the nationwide hunger protest was successful, adding that the NLC has issued another 14- day ultimatum to the government, which expires on March 13, 2024.

But reacting to the protest on Channels TV’s “Politics Today” Onanuga accused Ajaero of shifting the goal post and threatening the government since the agreement in October.

He said, “I can assure you that the federal government has substantially implemented the wage award. You can see the action of the TUC that pulled out of the protest because the government has substantially implemented the agreement reached.”

He noted that although there was initial delay in the implementation of the wage award, the president himself intervened and this problem was resolved, adding that the N35, 000 wage awards payment has been made and people have gotten their money.

The former managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said further that the other aspect of the agreement is procurement of the CNG buses which are being manufactured even as he assured that before the end of May, the buses will be available. He said further that the Tinubu government is also working on bringing about 10,000 other vehicles.

He described Ajaero as “a very unreasonable labour leader,” accusing him of introducing things which were not parts of the October agreement in, and stressing that the NLC chairman has “no point to call people on the streets.”