By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has debunked the report credited to it to the effect that it passed vote of no confidence in the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
The NLC also said that at no time did it describe the Chief of Staff to the President, as incompetent to handle negotiations between government and labour.
President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who described the said report as not being the true reflection of what happened, explained that what the organized labour said in their meeting with the Senate was that the Office of the Chief of Staff to President is a busy office that may not have the time to attend meetings with unions, adding that previous administrations had used the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to negotiate with labour.
The NLC President advised the National Assembly to check its media team to ensure that its reports are factual, adding that labour may be forced to go with its own media team in subsequent meetings to avoid misrepresentation.
Asked to explain why labour said that the President Chief of Staff is incompetent to handle negotiations with labour, Ajaero said:
“Well, that statement didn’t come from us. At no time did we raise issue of no confidence. We were clear when we spoke to the Senate President that the Office of the Chief of Staff is such a busy one that he will not have time to attend to the negotiation taking place.
“No matter who occupies that office, the person will be so busy with state matters in the presidency to spare time for negotiation. We went into history to say that from Ufot Ekaette who was Secretary to Government of the Federation to Babagana Kingibe, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim Pius, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Boss Mustapha.
“These were the people that were engaging, representing government in all our meetings and consultation. At no time did we look at the issue of competence on the person of the Chief of Staff to the President, the report was not true, it was not factual.”
Continuing, he said, ” If we want to talk about competence, we will address that but that’s not the issue, it’s not on the table and I think that we are misquoted, we challenge the reporters to transcribe what they got from us.
“I think the Senate, the National Assembly should check their media team so that we will be properly reported or else next time when we are going there, we will go with our own media team.”
Source: Vanguard
