Ongoing construction work was literally suspended for hours on Wednesday, as members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) staged a protest at the site of the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory.
The Federal Government condemned the violent protest.
The labor movement protested the working conditions of the Chinese company, which it described as inhuman.
The Nigeria Labor Congress had picketed Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Corporation, forcing the temporary shutdown of construction work ECOWAS headquarters.
Chinese firm, was alleged to be ill-treating some Nigerian staff under its employment, a development that prompted the protest.
It said that the mission was to liberate the workers at the construction company from continued enslavement.
The incident, which involved workers agitation at the site, disrupted ongoing construction work and left an expatriate injured.
FG, in a statement signed by the Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Francisca Omayuli, said it had since the June 13, 2023 been actively engaged in negotiations with relevant stakeholders, including the ECOWAS Commission, the National Union of Construction Workers and the NLC with a view to addressing the complaints and other Union matters tabled by the workers.
Omayuli noted that the negotiations had progressed and shown positive signs towards the amicable resolution of the complaints.
The Spokesperson added that the recent intrusion by touts into the construction site, which is a diplomatic vicinity, constitutes a blatant violation of established regulations and is highly condemnable.
Giving further updates, Omayuli stated “In response to this regrettable development, the Ministry and the ECOWAS Commission contacted relevant security agencies, who deployed more personnel to the site to contain and bring the situation under control, while ensuring the safety of all the parties concerned.
“In this regard, the Ministry calls for restraint and urges all the parties to refrain from taking laws into their hands, while the relevant stakeholders continue to work to resolve the issues at hand, through constructive dialogue and adherence to legal procedures.
“Any breach on the construction site by unscrupulous agents or individuals will not be tolerated and will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
“On this note, the Federal Government wishes to reiterate its commitment to the successful completion of the new ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja.”
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