Photo Story: NLC Shuts Mines Ministry In Abuja, Protest Worker’s Sack

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) members staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development’s office in Abuja.

Naija News reports that the labor union who stormed the Ministry in large numbers on Thursday effectively closed the ministry in response to its non-compliance with a court ruling that mandated the reinstatement of Comrade Victor Ekpaha, who was reportedly wrongfully dismissed two decades ago.

The protesters are calling for the complete payment of Ekpaha’s salaries, allowances, and other entitlements accumulated over the more than 20 years that this issue has remained unresolved.

See more photos from the protest below:

NLC At Mines Ministry 3

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) chapter within the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (MPR) has voiced strong opposition to the recent appointment of Aminu Said Ahmed as the ministry’s representative on the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Naija News reports that President Bola Tinubu recently appointed Aminu Said Ahmed, a senior manager from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to fill this role.

However, the NLC chapter at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has rejected the appointment, arguing that it violates legal provisions.

In a widely circulated video, the union members expressed their discontent, asserting that “he is not a staff of the Ministry of Petroleum.”

Their concerns stem from Section 59(2)(d) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which mandates that the ministry’s representative on the NNPC board must hold a rank no lower than a director within the ministry.

The labour union has therefore demanded the immediate reversal of Ahmed’s appointment, emphasizing that his current position as a senior manager in the NMDPRA does not meet the statutory requirements.