Wades into NLC-Kaduna face-off
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo
The federal government has disclosed that the striking judiciary and legislative workers may call off their strike Thursday (tomorrow), just as it stated that it has waded into the strike and picketing in Kaduna State by the two labour centres.
A statement signed by the Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr. Charles Akpan said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has appealed to the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El- Rufai; President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba as well as President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Rasheed Olawale to immediately ceasefire.
The statement said that federal government was aware of what was going on in Kaduna State, which is threatening to snowball into a national strike and picketing by the two labour centres and affiliate unions .
“We also appeal the to the leaders of the labour centres to step down action to make way for discussion .
“My Ministry is wading into the matter and therefore calls on the two warring parties to give peace a chance .
The minister also appealed to all workers on essential duties including doctors and nurses not to join the strike.
“Importantly, I appeal to workers in critical sectors not to tamper with electrical or water installations so as not to bring more sufferings to the people of Kaduna and the nation at large.
“This is because we have it on good authority, following a complaints by the Minster of Power that workers have threatened to trigger a nation-wide blackout by interfering or switching off the national grid.”
Meanwhile, the federal government said it was confident that it’s week-long fruitful consultations with all the critical stakeholders will end the debilitating strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) when conciliation resumes Thursday.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment said in a statement, quoted Ngige as saying that he had held meeting with the Secretary of the Presidential Implementation Committee on the Autonomy of the Judiciary and state legislature, Senator. Eta Enang, and with all stakeholders, including the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Chairman of Northern Governors Forum, Mr. Simon Lalong; officials from the Governors Forum Secretariat; Chairman of Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly as well as the Administrative Secretary of the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly.
“Today, we have deepened the discussion with a meeting with the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Court of Appeal and other judges who are heads of courts – President of the Federal High Court , President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria and we looked at the positions canvassed by each of the components -judiciary , legislature and the Governors Forum.
“At the moment, we have distilled on a holistic basis, what this Ministry regards as a conciliatory cocktail position – a mix of ideas from all sides , of constitutional positions , and even part of Presidential Executive Order No.10.
