With little movement and skeletal activities going on in the nation, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are pointing accusing fingers at President Goodluck Jonathan for importing armed thugs into Abuja to attack the anti-petrol price hike protesters.
In a statement jointly signed by the NLC General Secretary, Comrade Owei Lakemfa and TUC Secretary General Comrade John Kolawole.
The unions said the country, has witnessed the murder of at least eight unarmed civilians in the course of the protests, and so far its been so glaring that the armed officials are asked to use all necessary for which include killing.
Meanwhile, despite the huge success of the on-going strike and mass protests against fuel subsidy removal and the killings that have characterised the protests, the Federal Government has totally ignored labour and its civil society allies.
The Federal Government though set up a committee headed by Justice Alfa Belgore (retd) to meet with labour on the crisis even before the strike and mass protests started on Monday, but up till last night, neither the Federal Government nor the committee had contacted labour.
The NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, the TUC President, Comrade Peter Esele and the NLC Acting General Secretary, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, said on Tuesday that the government had not contacted them since the protest started.
Besides the Senate president, Senator David Mark and the Senate leadership who met the labour leadership late Monday night at the Apo residence of the Senate president, no effort has been made by the presidency or his committee to contact labour.
However, labour has insisted that it would not meet for any form of dialogue with the Federal Government or its committee on the issue without returning to a status quo.
Obviously the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration is waiting for Labour to blink first, that shows that Jonathan and his cohorts are really ready for a showdown....
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