By Abiola Olawale
Following unsubstantiated reports suggesting that the Federal Government may be planning to resort to arm twisting measures to exert pressure on organized labour leaders, a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to refrain from taking any action that could escalate the situation.
The former Minister also advised the President and the National Assembly leaders against threatening or intimidating labour leaders.
According to her, the Federal Government should instead encourage the Labour leaders to return to the negotiation table and employ diplomatic methods to persuade them to end the ongoing nationwide strike.
She made this comment following a tweet from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), raising an alarm that security forces were surrounding the venue where organized labour leaders and the Federal government were holding a meeting.
NLC had tweeted: “Soldiers are Presently surrounding the venue of the meeting between Labour and Government at the premises of the SGF.”
Reacting, Ezekwesili urged labour leaders not to be threatened by the presence of the soldiers.
Posting on X, the former Minister wrote: “I don’t quite understand this information.
“Does it mean that the Union Leaders of
@NLCHeadquarters and @OfficialTUCN
are feeling threatened?
“If so, that’s not good for the Negotiations, @NGRPresident @NigeriaGov @NGRSenate @nassnigeria.
“Forget intimidating or blackmailing the Labor leaders and negotiators. Adopt Confidence-building measures now.
“That’s the wise way to go. Wisdom is profitable to direct.”
However, the Nigerian Army in a tweet has since clarified the presence of soldiers at the meeting venue, saying they are statutory security personnel attached to the National Security Adviser (NSA) who is attending the meeting between FG and Labour.
