Angry, JUSUN abandons meeting after Ngige kept officials waiting for hours

The meeting to resolve the issue of financial autonomy between the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria on Tuesday, ended in an impasse.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the members of the unions left the meeting room after waiting for almost two hours without being attended to.

In a press briefing afterwards, the JUSUN National Public Relations Officer, Koin Selepreye, said it was wrong for the minister to keep the workers waiting for that long when the invitation sent to them clearly stated that the meeting was for 3pm.

“We have been waiting for almost two hours; the meeting was scheduled for 3pm, but it’s almost 5pm and we have not been attended to,” Selepreye stated.

Read also: JUSUN begins nationwide protest over financial autonomy for judiciary

Corroborating this account, the the National President of PASAN, Mohammed Usman criticised the Minister for not regarding the workers, adding that “workers respect time and won’t accept been kept (waiting) for a meeting which should be taken seriously considering the importance of the issues at stake.”

The workers’ leaders snubbed entreaties by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Peter Yarfa, and the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Ita Enang, to stay back for the parley.

However, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige defended the government’s position saying the delay was to enable the harmonisation of all issues from the Memorandum of Understanding reached at separate meetings with tiers and arms of government.

According to him, the meeting would continue at a date to be announced soon.

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