By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige, said that his house at Asokoro in Abuja had been under siege by a group of people, including tanker drivers.
Ngige who spoke to THISDAY this morning on telephone from his house said that as early as 4 a.m some persons, including two tankers arrived his residence led by the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba and blocked his gate.
Ngige said:” Wabba led tanker drivers this morning to block my private residence by 4a.m.,” he said.
When THISDAY got to the house, NLC members could be seen in front of the Minister’s gate chanting solidarity songs and demanding his resignation.
Also two heavy duty trucks were parked in front of the gate.
Both the minister and the NLC leadership have been engaged in a running battle over the non inauguration of the board of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) with a veteran labour activist, Frank Kokori, as its chairman.
While the ministry said that federal government had approved the replacement of Kokori with another person to ensure neutrality, NLC president and other affiliate unions insisted that it must be Kokori or nothing.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Wabba threatened to picket all Ngige interests beginning from today.
Wabba was not at the place when THISDAY got there.
When THISDAY sought to speak with the protesting NLC members, one of their leaders said they were waiting for Wabba and others to join them.
Later the General Secretary, Peter Essom, arrived the scene and addressed the protesters, urging them to continue with the protest and that a reinforcement led by Wabba was on the way.
He said that the protest was being carried out because of the refusal of the Minister to inaugurate the NSITF board and to allow Kokori to chair it.
According to him, in the history of the NSITF the representative of labour had always chaired it, adding the case of Kokori will not be different.
The siege is still on just as security personnel continue to keep watch close by.
Details later…
