Protesting members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and its affiliates, on Wednesday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa to express their concerns over the economic hardship in the country.
The protesters were received by the State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and some members of the State Legislative arm of Government.
Spokesperson and Chairman of the NLC in Lagos, Comrade Bello Ismail, said the body commenced a nationwide protest to express their dissatisfaction with the removal of fuel subsidy resulting in hardship for the citizens.
Bello noted that the current situation in the country is unpalatable for the average citizens urging the government to respect the people of the country who voted them in.
“You come to us to beg us to vote you in, your responsibility as a representative of the people you govern is to protect their welfare.
“We are doing this protest because we have the right to protest and table our issues before the government. Our cry is that we want to be able to commute from one place to another freely to our respective places.
“However that has become practically impossible. As congress, we have been engaging the government but the engagement hasn’t been productive and fruitful enough.
“On 5th June 2023, we had an understanding with the government and the leadership of Congress is keen that the government should respect that understanding,” he said.
Femi Falana (SAN), who joined the protest, lamented the hardship faced by citizens, adding: “We are here to tell the Federal Government through the Lagos State Government that our country is not a poor country; we are blessed with so many natural resources to be suffering this way.
“There is no way the IMF and World Bank can help Nigeria. The implementation of no liberal policies has taken the nation to where it is today.
“For those in the National Assembly, it is unacceptable to vote N70 billion for the face-lift of the National Assembly. This money and another N40 billion for the acquisition of exotic cars can be shared to constituencies in the country.”
Falana noted that the total sum of money is over one hundred billion “and if you divide that by 360, constituencies in the country would receive a total of N305 million which will ease the hardship in the land.”
Another labour leader, Comrade Funmi Sese, opined that a palliative of N30,000 is given to civil servants in Lagos State to alleviate their sufferings. She, thereafter, presented a protest letter to Dr Hamzat, who stood in for Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu.
The Deputy Governor thanked the union members for their peaceful action while reassuring them that he would deliver the letter having heard their pleas. He promised that labour would hear from the government soon.
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