The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will on Wednesday protest against the failure of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, to inaugurate the board of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
NLC President Ayuba Wabba said this at a joint news conference organised by the Congress and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) on Tuesday in Abuja.
It would be recalled that the inauguration of the board was postponed two weeks ago with labour unions protesting what they called the removal of Frank Kokori as the Chairman of the board.
NLC had given the minister an ultimatum to inaugurate the board with Kokori as the chairman.
The ultimatum expired on May 1.
Wabba said: “we wish to announce our intention to meet him (Ngige) headlong. We will make the industrial space uncomfortable for him as we will picket him anywhere we see him.
“Kokori’s appointment by Buhari was without any prompting by the NLC. In fact, it was Ngige, who hinted us of Kokori’s appointment.
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“Kokori’s appointment was also informed by his position as a member of the Board of Trustee of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State,” he said.
While speaking at the event, Kokori noted that Nigige’s action amounted to oppression of Nigerians and thanked the NLC for believing in him.
“I want to say that Nigeria must not get to a stage that positions are bought by the highest bidder but that is the situation now,” he said.
In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Obikwe Nwachukwu, Ngige dismissed the NLC’s planned protest, calling it “a feeble attempt.”
The minister said that he would not be intimidated by labour unions. (NAN)