We Did Not Spend ₦1.5 Billion On Hotels For ILO Delegates – FG

The Presidency has debunked viral reports claiming that it sponsored 289 delegates to the just concluded International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference that held in Geneva, Switzerland.

It also rubbished claims the government spent ₦1.5bn on hotel accommodation and other logistics for the delegates.

Naija News understands that reports had indicated that Nigeria had the highest number of delegates at the ILO conference.

A list published on the website of the ILO also confirmed that the country had the largest delegation among the 187 countries represented at the event.

Brazil and Argentina emerged second and third behind Nigeria with 191 and 156 delegates respectively.

However, speaking during an interview with Punch, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that not all the participants of the conference were sponsored by the government.

He stated that some individuals were there on their own.

According to him, “Why not analyse the list and tell us how many of the delegates were specifically sponsored by the government? Of course, one can see that NECA officials, labour delegates and other private persons were on that list.

“A lot of people came there on their own. That should tell you that it was not all of them that were sponsored by the FG.”

Some of those present in the conference include the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Olabode Agoro, Lagos Head of Service; permanent secretaries, several top shots from the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association as well as officials from Chevron, TotalEnergies and representatives of other private bodies.

In the category of workers’ delegates, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero; the President of the Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, and scores of labour leaders were listed.