‘He Lives in the US’: Ajaero Questions Osifo’s Understanding of Workers’ Hardship in Nigeria.

Again, NLC President Ajaero Blasts TUC Leader Over Opposition to N70,000 Transport Support, Says ‘He Lives in US, Only Visits Nigeria for Meetings’
‘How Can You Lead Workers You Don’t Live With? How Can You Negotiate for People Whose Suffering You Don’t Feel? He Has Abandoned Workers’

Concerns Over How TUC President Funds Alleged International Travels
By Felix Duru Mbah, Abuja
Who fights more effectively for Nigerian workers? Where should such a leader reside? And how can such a leader practically demonstrate an understanding of workers’ challenges?

These are some of the concerns raised by the ongoing exchange of words between the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, and his counterpart in the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Festus Osifo, over the six-month N70,000 monthly transport support recently announced by the Federal Government (FG).

The support followed negotiations with the NLC and was introduced to further cushion the transportation difficulties facing workers.

Recall that the TUC opposed the support, insisting that it remained committed to pursuing a new minimum wage of N300,000 monthly.

However, the current minimum wage of N70,000 is expected to expire by law on June 1, 2027, following the adoption of a three-year wage review cycle by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The TUC’s position on the transport support was immediately criticised by the NLC President, who maintained that the TUC was not part of the negotiations that produced the N70,000 agreement.
Ajaero’s comments suggested that the labour centre was not adequately considering the interests of its members amid the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis.

The TUC subsequently responded, arguing, among other things, that the N70,000 accepted by the NLC amounted to mere “crumbs.”

In a fresh development, Comrade Ajaero has alleged that the TUC President hardly stays in Nigeria, claiming that he resides in the United States (US) and therefore cannot fully appreciate the daily challenges confronting the average Nigerian worker under the Tinubu administration.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, the NLC leader alleged that Osifo only travels to Nigeria to attend labour meetings before returning abroad.

“He (Festus Osifo) is an absentee President of the TUC. He doesn’t live in Nigeria. He comes in from the United States to attend meetings and rush back,” Ajaero declared.

However, he did not disclose who pays for the expensive international flights of the umbrella labour organisation established to fight for improved working conditions for Nigerian workers.

The controversy has attracted further attention following airfare checks conducted by People&Politics, which showed that the average economy-class one-way ticket from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to the United States currently ranges from $700 (close to N1 million) to more than $1,000 (about N1.4 million), depending on the airline.

Return tickets reportedly cost between $1,050 (slightly above N1.4 million) and more than $1,600 (above N2 million).
The fares may vary depending on the airline, how early the ticket is booked, the final destination and, more importantly, the prevailing exchange rate.

Describing the situation as shameful, Ajaero questioned how someone who claims to lead workers and champion their welfare could understand their struggles without living among them in the country.

He expressed doubts about Osifo’s ability to appreciate the difficult realities confronting Nigerian workers daily.

According to him, the TUC leader cannot fully understand what it means for an average employee to buy a litre of petrol for more than N1,000, pay children’s school fees, provide food for the family and meet house rent obligations amid the prevailing economic conditions.

Ajaero further claimed that Osifo enjoys constant electricity supply, good roads and other benefits of living in the United States, making it difficult for him to understand the current situation of Nigerian workers.

He said: “How can you lead workers you don’t live with? How can you negotiate for people whose suffering you don’t feel? He has abandoned workers.”

Given the level of hardship in the country, Ajaero added that the NLC, which has more than 60 affiliate unions and millions of members, could not continue waiting for a labour leader who, according to him, only visits Nigeria before negotiating better wages and the N70,000 transport support.

PHOTO CAPTION: L-R: Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo.