Toyyibat Qasim
The Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Nuhu Toro, has denied allegations that he diverted 400 bags of Federal Government rice allocated to the labour centre in 2024, describing the claims as a “lie from the pit of hell“.
Toro dismissed the allegations during an interview with SaharaReporters on Wednesday, insisting that the claims were false, unfounded and calculated to malign his reputation.
The denial followed allegations by some sources within the organised labour movement that Toro allegedly took the entire consignment of 400 bags to his private residence in Karu, Nasarawa State, instead of distributing the relief materials to TUC members and officials.
The sources had claimed that some of the rice bags were left in storage until they began to deteriorate before portions of the consignment were eventually distributed to individuals outside the union.
Reacting, however, Toro questioned the credibility of the allegations, demanding clarification on when the rice was delivered, who authorised its allocation and the individuals who received it.
“The allegation is a lie from the pit of hell. How can one person take 400 bags of rice? It is not possible,” he said.
He added, “When was the rice given? Who gave the rice? And to who?
“People just make frivolous statements and malign people, and I don’t think that is good. So, the allegation is not correct, it is unfounded, and it is misleading.”
Earlier, sources cited by SaharaReporters alleged that while the Nigeria Labour Congress received 600 bags of rice and distributed them among its officials and structures, the TUC received 400 bags but failed to extend the relief materials to its National Administrative Council, National Executive Council, state councils and national secretariat staff.
One of the sources alleged that Toro personally took the entire consignment to his residence in Karu, where the rice was reportedly kept until some bags started spoiling.
“The TUC got 400 bags, but Mr Toro, the TUC Secretary-General, diverted it to his house in Karu, where he kept it until some started spoiling,” the source alleged.
The source further claimed that Toro subsequently distributed some of the rice to individuals outside the TUC, including members of staff of the NLC, where he had previously worked for about 18 years.
“He later shared with some people outside TUC, including some NLC staff members, who later got from him because he worked in the NLC for 18 years before joining TUC in 2019,” the source added.
The source maintained that the TUC’s leadership structures and secretariat staff were excluded from the distribution.
“But no TUC NAC, NEC or State Council or staff got a single bag from the rice,” the source claimed.
Another source familiar with the matter reportedly corroborated the allegation, claiming that the distribution took place only after some of the bags had begun deteriorating, with TUC members allegedly excluded.
Another source familiar with the matter reportedly corroborated the allegation, claiming that the distribution took place only after some of the bags had begun deteriorating, with TUC members allegedly excluded.
The allegations also triggered questions about the management and accountability of government-provided relief materials intended to cushion the economic hardship confronting Nigerian workers following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
Meanwhile, the sources raised questions about Toro’s alleged personal wealth and lifestyle, claiming that he owned several luxury vehicles, including a 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, two Mercedes-Benz cars, a Toyota Hilux and a 2024 Lexus SUV.
The controversy comes amid growing disagreements between the two major labour centres over the management of government interventions and the representation of workers’ interests.
On November 2, the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, questioned the whereabouts and deployment of 90 compressed natural gas buses reportedly allocated to the TUC by the Federal Government to ease transportation difficulties.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Ajaero questioned whether the buses were being deployed to transport workers and members of the public.
“The government gave TUC 90 buses to ease the transportation problem in the country, gave us money to fuel it,” Ajaero said.
He subsequently questioned the routes being serviced by the buses, asking: “Actually, where are the routes that the CNG bus, the 90 buses from TUC, the routes they are plying, where are they? Or did they develop wings?”
Ajaero also criticised the TUC President, Festus Osifo, describing him as an “absentee president” and alleging that he resided in the United States and travelled to Nigeria mainly to attend meetings.
The disagreement between the two labour centres has also extended to the Federal Government’s approval of a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public sector workers for six months, beginning in November 2026.
While the NLC defended the arrangement, the TUC rejected it, arguing that a temporary transport allowance would not adequately address workers’ economic difficulties.
The TUC instead called for an immediate salary increase and the implementation of outstanding agreements with the Federal Government.
Toro joined the TUC in 2019 as Deputy Secretary-General after spending approximately 18 years at the NLC, where he served as Assistant Secretary-General.
He subsequently became TUC Secretary-General following the death of his predecessor, Comrade Musa-Lawal Ozigi, in the March 28, 2022 terrorist attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train.
The allegations surrounding the 400 bags of rice have renewed concerns about transparency and accountability in the management of public relief interventions by organised labour.
Although Toro has dismissed the allegations, questions remain over the circumstances surrounding the reported allocation, the handling of the consignment and the identities of those who eventually benefited from it.
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