The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, has challenged his Trade Union Congress, TUC, counterpart, Comrade Festus Osifo, to prove that he has spent at least four to five months in Nigeria this year.
Ajaero made the challenge while accusing Osifo of allegedly living in the United States and only returning to Nigeria to attend official meetings.
The NLC president spoke on Monday during an appearance on a Television programme, amid an escalating disagreement between the leadership of the two major labour centres over workers’ welfare and negotiations with the Federal Government.
Ajaero questioned how someone allegedly residing abroad could effectively occupy a leadership position in a national labour organisation.
He challenged both Osifo and the Nigeria Immigration Service to establish his counterpart’s travel history and verify how much time he has spent in Nigeria in 2026.
In his words:
“You can’t be living abroad and then hold a position in a central-level organisation. I challenge him and the Nigerian Immigration Service to prove whether he has been in this country for four to five months this year.”
Ajaero also described Osifo as an absentee TUC president, alleging that he travels from the United States to Nigeria for meetings before returning abroad.
The NLC president further defended his relationship with his TUC counterpart, dismissing suggestions that he had failed to communicate with him on issues affecting Nigerian workers.
According to Ajaero, he had made several attempts to contact Osifo, particularly around June and July, to harmonise their positions on the minimum wage and other labour-related matters.
He claimed that some of those attempts did not result in meaningful discussions, as Osifo reportedly indicated that he was in transit and would return his calls.
The NLC president also questioned Osifo’s participation in National Pension Commission, PenCom, board meetings, alleging that he had not regularly attended the meetings physically.
The disagreement between the two labour leaders comes amid controversy over the Federal Government’s approval of a 70,000-naira monthly transport allowance for public servants for six months, beginning in November 2026.
While Ajaero defended the negotiations that produced the intervention, Osifo criticised the arrangement, arguing that the TUC was not adequately consulted.
The TUC president has maintained that the NLC cannot negotiate on behalf of TUC members without the organisation’s participation and agreement.
He has also advocated a more sustainable improvement in workers’ salaries rather than temporary financial interventions.
The growing disagreement has raised questions about cooperation, representation and collective bargaining within Nigeria’s organised labour movement.
However, Ajaero’s allegation concerning Osifo’s residency and time spent in Nigeria remains a claim by the NLC president, with independent verification of the TUC leader’s immigration records still outstanding.
The development adds another dimension to the public disagreement between the two labour leaders, as Nigerian workers await a unified position on wages, allowances and improved working conditions.
