Members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, decrying poor welfare conditions, non-payment of allowance arrears, and other outstanding entitlements owed to workers.
The demonstration, led by aggrieved staff of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), was aimed at drawing attention to what they described as prolonged neglect by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun.
Dressed in red T-shirts and carrying placards, the protesting workers barricaded the entrance of the ministry, preventing vehicular movement in and out of the premises. Many civil servants arriving for work were forced to turn back.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, the Industrial Relations Officer of the NNRA, Patrick Solomon, accused the ministry’s leadership of being indifferent to the plight of the workers.
“We are here today to protest the insensitivity of the ministry to our demands,” he said. “We’ve faced several challenges and exhausted all formal channels to resolve them, but no one is paying attention. Our internally generated revenue (IGR) has been withheld for over 15 months with no explanation.”
Solomon noted that the lack of funding has made basic operations at the agency extremely difficult, with workers left without critical allowances and entitlements for an extended period.
“We’ve engaged the Minister of Finance repeatedly on this matter, but it’s clear he is not willing to address our concerns,” he added. “The hardship is unbearable, and our patience has run out.”
The protest highlights ongoing tensions between the federal government and labour unions over unmet obligations and deteriorating working conditions in various sectors.
