Army reacts as NLC cries out over soldiers’ presence at meeting venue with SGF

The Nigerian Army has reacted to the claim by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that the premises of its meeting venue with the Secretary General of the Federation, George Akume, was surrounded by soldiers.

Earlier, Akume summoned the union leaders to a meeting to discuss and resolve the ongoing nationwide strike.

The strike which commenced on Monday, June 3, 2024, paralysed business and industrial activities in many parts of the country as workers of critical sectors joined the nationwide industrial action.

The NLC embarked on the strike after the government failed to accept its demands for an increase in minimum wage.

The labour union wants the Federal Government to increase workers’ minimum wage from ₦35,000 to ₦494,000, but the government is not willing to go beyond ₦60,000.

To resolve the conflict, the SGF on Monday summoned the organised labour to an emergency meeting.

However, shortly after the meeting started, the NLC via its X handle raised an alarm, saying soldiers had surrounded the premises of the meeting venue.

The NCL tweeted, “Soldiers are presently surrounding the venue of the meeting between Labour and Government at the premises of the SGF.”

Reacting, the Nigerian Army quoting the NLC tweet dismissed the union’s claim, describing it as “false breaking news.”

The military explained that the soldiers at the premises of the meeting venue are military officers attached to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who’s also present at the meeting.

“The attention of Army Headquarters has been drawn to a false breaking news by NLC alleging that soldiers currently surround the venue of the ongoing meeting between NLC and the SGF. Kindly note that the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who is also attending the meeting, arrived at the meeting venue with his retinue of statutorily approved military escorts. Once the meeting is over, the escorts will lead the NSA from the venue,” the Nigerian Army tweeted.

The military, therefore, urged Nigerians to “disregard the deliberate and misleading falsehood being peddled about the presence of the escorts at the meeting.”