On Tuesday, the Trade Union Congress, in collaboration with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, led a protest that shut down the finance ministry to demand payment of their workers’ entitlements.

A crowd of protesters dressed in red attire blocked the main gate of the ministry’s building, urging finance minister Wale Edun to pay their entitlements.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions, ‘Wale Edun release the payment file’ and ‘Please pay our entitlements’ as they sang solidarity songs.

“Our leaders are inside to talk with the minister,” said a protester who declined to mention his name because he was not authorised to speak to the press. “What we are protesting for is our upfront allowance. It is due since January, they keep promising and failing us.”

The protest disrupted the free traffic flow in front of the ministry on Tuesday morning.