There is serious confusion and drama in the Nigerian labour movement after President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, publicly accused the President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Festus Osifo, of being an absentee leader.
Ajaero stated this on Monday, during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief’, alleging that Osifo does not live in Nigeria, but actually resides in the United States and only flies into the country to attend labour meetings before rushing back abroad.
“He (Festus Osifo) is an absentee president of the TUC. He doesn’t live in Nigeria. He comes in from the United States to attend meetings and rush back,” Ajaero declared.
The NLC President said it was shameful that a man who claims to be leading Nigerian workers and negotiating their welfare with the Federal Government is not living in the country to feel the pain of the workers.
According to him, Osifo cannot understand what it means for a worker to buy fuel at over N1,000 per litre, pay house rent, school fees and feed their family under Tinubu’s economy because he is enjoying steady electricity, good roads and good life in America.
“How can you lead workers you don’t live with? How can you negotiate for people whose suffering you don’t feel? He has abandoned workers,” Ajaero added.
Ajaero said the NLC, which has over 60 affiliate unions and millions of members, cannot continue to wait for a leader who is only in Nigeria on a visiting visa to agree before it negotiates better wages and N70,000 transport allowance for suffering workers.