August 8, 2023

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, on Monday, shed light on organised labour’s private meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on August 2 as nationwide protests broke out over high cost of living amongst other issues.

Ajaero, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday said the President attempted to reduce the presidential fleet, among other decisions aimed at reducing the cost of governance.

Asked if the labour leaders demanded government officials must also tighten their proverbial belts, Ajaero said that line of questioning led to Tinubu’s rationale for his staff size which has been a source of criticism.

According to the NLC president, Tinubu argued that rather than subscribe to complaints over hiring numerous Senior Advisers (SAs) and “SAs to SAs”, the unionists should consider the hires in the light of job creation.

“He (Tinubu) took his own case for example. He told us that if you come to his fleet of cars, that it was large and he made efforts to reduce it and he was told that it’s a security issue,” Ajaero recounted.

“He equally went further to say that he prefers to use his own private jet and they told him no, it’s a security issue, he must use the government jet. And he went further to say, even himself, that he’s using only a two-bedroom flat.

“That he’s trying as much as possible to tighten his belt and he will try as much as possible to talk to his people working with him. So, I don’t know what that means.”