EXCLUSIVE: Details of Oyo NLC/Govt meeting

• Labour leaders apologized to Ajimobi
• Government to drop charges against NLC leaders
• Workers to call off strike
• Labour to present its own position on school management initiative

The leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Oyo State have apologized to Governor Abiola Ajimobi over alleged disruption of the stakeholders’ meeting held on June 1, 2016.

A reliable source at the meeting told Newspeakonline that the labour leaders tendered the apology at the meeting held on Wednesday after Ajimobi established that they had no right to stop any other citizen or group from exercising their own rights to meet, even if they do not agree with them.

The parley was facilitated by the Oyo State House of Assembly.

The government accused the labour leaders of playing the card of non-payment of salaries to mislead the public and cover their wrong behaviour. He added that the strike declared last week was illegal because there was no dispute over payment of salaries having agreed with the labour movement months earlier to spend 100 per cent of the state federal allocation to pay only salaries.

He expressed his sympathy to the workers for non-payment of salaries, saying the situation of the Nigerian economy led the state’s to the current state. He expressed his administration’s commitment to the agreement to use 100 per cent of the federal allocation to the state to only salaries.

On the school management initiative, our correspondent gathered that the governor pointedly told the labour leaders that they deliberately misinformed their members even when they did not care to find out details of the initiative.

Ajimobi was said to have explained to them that no law stipulates that government can not close down any school if it is no longer able to maintain it. He added that no law forbids the government from seeking better ways of running schools.

According to him, labour is just one of the stakeholders. He explained that labour as only one stakeholder would not be allowed to force its own position on the entire state because democracy is about everyone having their say but the majority winning in debates for decisions.

The governor emphasized that as deliberations on the initiative continue, his administration would only allow the majority’s wish to prevail.

He emphasized that his administration would not retrench teachers because they are currently insufficient.

In return, the governor pledged to drop the charges against the seven labour leaders arraigned for the alleged disruption and destruction of government property during the June 1 meeting.

The labour leaders thereafter praised the governor for his openness and sincerity in the matter and promised to meet with their members on Thursday to take a new decision, which is expected to include calling off the strike.