Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory Administration has denied organised labour unions access to use Abuja Eagle Square for celebration of International Workers’ Day coming up on May 1st.
Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, secretary-general of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC made the disclosure in Abuja on Friday during a pre-Mayday lecture held at Pascal Bafyau Labour House.
“They have withdrawn the permission and they don’t want to talk to us, the Minister of FCT has withdrawn our permission to use Eagle Square for the Mayday and clearly he is speaking for his government, it means the government doesn’t want to address the workers, so they don’t appreciate the work the workers have put over the years and we will not fair to appreciate ourselves,” Bafyai said.
The FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello communicated the withdrawal of venue to the labour union in a letter on Thursday through FCT administration, Ugboaja said.
The labour union had sought the permission to use a venue and it was granted to them, but it was latter withdrawn in a curious manner.
The Minister said the withdrawal was to enable the administration prepare the Eagle Square for the May 29 inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, a reason as labour described as utra-lame.
“The withdrawal has no implication on workers, the Mayday will hold but not in Eagle Square but the workers will mark their day from the NLC to every nook and cranny of Nigeria.
“The reason they gave was that they were renovating the Eagle Square for usage on May 29 and we’ll find it to be ultra lame this is not the first time there will be an inauguration we have had more than five to seven inaugurations in the past two decades and we have always held Mayday in the Eagle Square,” the secretary said.
