The Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Dr. Salihu Lukman, has called the nationwide protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) ‘needless’ adding that the organised unions need to improve on their negotiation skills to achieve their aim.

He said this on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Lukman added that the method adopted by the organised labour to press home its demand was outdated.

He stated that “We are not saying they should not protest, but this protest is needless. I can guarantee that it is not going to stop the process in the National Assembly. It is not also going to take away the issue.

“We need to work with them to develop this democracy and we can only do that if every constituent unit and citizens in those units can negotiate with the constituent governments and get results.

“As it is, we are all frustrated and that is what we should be addressing. This ‘we against them’ that labour is creating does not exist.

“We should be applying ourselves to resolving the problems of this democracy. There are fundamental problems bigger than we can imagine.”

He further explained that it was no longer sustainable for states like Yobe and Zamfara to pay the same wages as Lagos and River.

The DG of the PGF therefore advised the organised unions to improve on their negotiation skills to be able to constructively engage both the legislature and the executive on such matters.