Sokoto, Anmabra and Ondo chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday joined other states in the nationwide protests embarked upon by the union against recent subsidy removal and cost of foodstuffs in the country.
Addressing members of the rally at the Sokoto state secretariat on Wednesday, the chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu Jungle, urged members of the union to be civil and organize in their protest.
He said the rally is not meant to vandalise government properties but rather to express the grievances of Nigerian workers and the general public about the present living conditions in the country.
“We are calling on the government at all levels to do all it required in order to bring relief to the masses who are currently find it difficult to pay their bills.
“Everything has increased in the market including school fees, they should have put the interest of the masses at heart in their decision making ”
Also speaking, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) chairman in the state, Comrade Ibrahim Shehu, also appealed for calm throughout the period of the rally.
He called on the government to listen to the yearnings of the masses and put in a policy that is masses friendly.
Addressing the protesters at the entrance gate of the state government House, Chief of staff to the governor, Aminu Dikko, commend the labour union for the peaceful protest.
Dikko, who collected the NLC letter on behalf of the governor assured them that the governor will deliver the letter to President Bola Tinubu.
He described the state governor, Ahmed Aliyu, as masses-friendly, assuring that the state will introduce policies to minimize the suffering of the people of the state.
The Anambra State Chapter of the NLC has joined its counterpart across the country in a peaceful protest against the policies of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Tribune Online reports that all the affiliated bodies that constitute NLC in the state including representatives of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and others assembled at the state NULGE Office Awka, at about 9:03 am where the kick-off the rally and it was terminated at the Ekwueme Square Awka.
In his address, the State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Humphre Emeka Nwafor, said the protest is to bring to notice the hardship the citizens of Nigerians are passing through in the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the organised labour in Anambra State under my leadership, is joining the national body to send the message to the Federal Government.
The subsidy removal the Federal Government announced during Tinubu’s Inauguration, has inflicted so much hardship on Nigerians.
“Other Nigerians should equally raise their voices against the current economic status of the country.
“We demand that the FG should pay the 8-month salary of university workers.
“The FG should not allow private companies to determine the price increase of petroleum products for Nigerians when we have our regulatory agency.
“We are not accepting the N8,000 palliative.
“As I speak, the cost of living here in Anambra State is very high. The current house rent in Awka is higher than in other state capitals of the Federation while workers’ monthly salaries remain the same.
“We call on President Tinubu to revise all the anti-policies he has put in place for the sake of the poor masses.”
Nwafor noted that the protest match was a warning to the Federal Government to do the needful.
However, members of the NLC were seen carrying placards with different inscriptions such as ‘End fuel price increase, Fix our local refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, No to Jumbo pay for politicians, TUC stronger together, stop naira devaluation, we can not bear the suffering of any more, pay University workers their salaries, 8,000 palliatives to households insult to Nigerians, among others.
The protest was peacefully monitored by security personnel from the Police and DSS.
In their separate contributory speeches, the NURTW state Chairman, Comrade Dominic Ezebuenyi, ASUU-UNIZIK Chairman, Comrade Kingsley Ubaorji, the state NULGE Chairman, Comrade Adigwe Chikwelu and the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, also appealed to the Government to help reconsider the policies for the sake of poor Nigerians who can not afford two square meal per day.
On its part, the organised Labour in Ondo state on Wednesday asked the Federal Government to reduce the cost of governance to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
The union which includes, NLC and TUC joined in the peaceful protest and demanded better welfare for the Nigerian masses.
While speaking, the State Chairman of NLC, Mr Victor Amoko, described the removal of the fuel subsidy by the Federal Government as a welcome development but lamented over the biting effect of the removal, saying “Nigerian masses are in pain.”
Amoko noted that every family household in the nation is feeling hardship due to the policies of the government, urging the government to provide soothing relief for the masses.
Reading the position of the National body of the union, Amoko noted that “the increment in the price of petrol has led to astronomical increases in transportation fares, food, goods and services, tuition fees and the cost of accessing quality healthcare services in the country.
“We are calling for the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the government including recent hikes in PMS prices, school f and VAT. We also want all our local refineries both in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna to be fixed.
“We also want the federal government to release the eight-month withheld salaries of university lecturers and workers among several others. It’s like suffering and smiling. There must be an end to that it. We are also calling for the need to urgently address the increasing cost of governance at all levels.
“We reject plans by the National Assembly to spend N70b when Nigerian masses are facing hardship. The government should be sensitive to the plight of our people.
“You saved money from the subsidy. We agreed but what is the money saved from it meant for? We want to know. We also want to know those masquerades that had been hijacking our resources unmasked,”
The State Chairman of the TUC, Mr Clement Fatuase, said the federal government to be sensitive to the plight of the common man, and should allow the “poor to breathe” describing the Federal Government policies as inhuman and will not be tolerated.
He urged the government to quickly implement people-centred agreements reached with organised labour unions to avoid further crippling the economy.
Fatuase said “The federal government should allow the poor to breathe because this is a warning signal that If they are determined to make life difficult for us. We are going to resist it even with the last drop of blood in our bodies.
“So, this is a march for the survival of Nigeria and Nigerians, we say no to anti-people policies. We want President to listen to our plight,”
Addressing the labour leaders, the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, commended the organised labour for the peaceful manners they tabled their grievances through the peaceful demonstration on the street.
Akeredolu, who was represented by Mr Dare Aragbaye, the Special Adviser on Union Matters, said the decision of the unions would convey to the President.
“We have received your letter and it would be conveyed to Mr President. We don’t have any objection to your demands because we have seen your placards.
“There is no way he would know if you had not come out to articulate your demands. With this action, you have to make the President know that there’s a need to be sensitive to the plight of the Nigerian workers.
“I can assure you that this letter would be conveyed to the president and these demands of the workers would be addressed,” he said.
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