The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi has cautioned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its planned nationwide protest on 27th and 28th February 2024.
Recall that NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on February 8th issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the Federal Government over its failure to implement the agreements reached on 2nd October 2023, following the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.
But the AGF in a letter written to the Nigerian Labour Congress Counsel, Femi Falana, dated Friday 23rd February, 2024 cautioned them against embarking on strike saying it’s against court order.
He noted that “government has substantially and reasonably complied with the items in the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and it is only appropriate and equitable for organised labour to engage more with government to ensure the full implementation of same, especially in the areas that have been inhibited by unforeseen challenges”.
According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the planned industrial action could amount to contempt in view of a restraining order of the National Industrial Court.
He added that “the restraining order has neither been stayed nor set aside, therefore remains binding”.
Fagbemi explained that the planned protest is premised on or connected with alleged non-implementation of the 16-point agreement reached with the Federal Government on 2nd October 2023, and added that it is targeted at promoting issues connected with hike in fuel price and consequential matters of palliatives, workers welfare, and associated government policies.
According to the letter, the AGF requested the counsel to implore and enjoined his clients to “refrain from self-help by shelving the proposed protests which is antithetical to the mediatory engagements leading to the execution of the MOU, tantamount to undermining subsisting restraining court order, and occasioning disruption of public service, order and safety”.
