Dialogue is important, FCT minister tells labour leaders

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Bello, has stressed the importance of dialogue in promoting the relationship between the government and labour organisations.

The FCT Minister stated this in Abuja on Thursday, during a courtesy visit of the Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, FCT chapter, led by the chairman, Stephen Knabayi to his office, to present the new membership of the NLC Executives in the FCT.

He said “Dialogue is very important; it’s amazing what can be achieved through dialogue. I’m sure you have seen it here in the FCT and I’m going to hand over reports to the incoming FCT Minister, informing him of the relationship that I have enjoyed with all the various labour organizations in the FCT; the NLC, the TUC and our own in-house JUAC”.

Malam Bello, while appreciating the relationship between the FCTA and the NLC and other sub-affiliated units like the NUT, pledged the continued partnership of the Administration to the leadership of the NLC to promote industrial harmony in the FCT.

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Commending the chairman over his emergence as the new leader of the NLC in the FCT, the minister noted that his elevation is as a result of the credible roles he played over the years as Chairman of the NUT in the FCT, adding that his antecedents are very well known in the FCT.

He advised the new leadership to try to adopt new approaches and strategies, in terms of its utterances and activities, now that the stakes were much higher, and urged the Association to see themselves as stakeholders in the FCT project.

“As you go higher, you realize that a lot is achieved through mutual respect, dialogue and understanding of the wider picture,” Bello stated.

Earlier, Knabayi, disclosed that the new executive members were on the visit to familiarize and identify with the FCT Administration, as well as commend the Minister for the good job he had done in terms of welfare of the workers.

“We are also here to let you know that the NLC is available for you and for all of us, ready to work together with you, because we believe in dialogue, we believe in appreciating employers who have done us well and who are doing us well. We believe that meeting together to discuss issues will aways chart a better way forward on issues”.

Present at the meeting were the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, Chief of Staff to the Minister, Bashir Mai-Bornu, Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engr. Shehu Ahmad, Directors Human Resources Management and Treasury, Bashir Muhammad, and Dr. Zanna Hamza, as well as other senior management staff of the FCTA and executives of the FCT Council of the NLC.