Festus Osifo, president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has responded to Senator Adams Oshiomhole’s claims that the ongoing Labour strike is politically motivated .
On Tuesday November 14, the former Edo governor, while addressing journalists at the presidential villa, said the ongoing strike is politically motivated.
Oshiomhole, a former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), asked organised labour to prioritise the rights of workers rather than engage in politics.
His statement came after the NLC and TUC said they were embarking on the nationwide strike to protest the alleged assault of Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, in Imo state.
The strike commenced at midnight on November 14.
The FG faulted the decision of the unions to embark on the strike.
However, speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, November 15, Osifo said Oshiomhole commented on the strike based on information passed from the presidential villa.
During the interview, Osifo said Oshiomhole should have reached out to union leaders for facts.
The TUC president said Ajaero did not travel to Imo state on November 1 to entertain political issues.
“Our senior comrade, Adams Oshiomhole, is giving opinion based on the information he has,” he said.
“Today, he is a senator who is busy with national politics. I think he does not have sufficient information, maybe later we will give him as much information as possible, once he reaches out.
“He went to the villa to meet with them. That is the information that was given to him in the villa. Has he spoken to Joe Ajaero and senior labour leaders in the country to have their opinion?
“Maybe the information he (Oshiomhole) got from the villa was that he (Ajaero) went there to play politics.
“But I will tell him clearly that was not the case.”
