Nigeria Labour Congress Begins Nationwide Protest

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and its affiliate unions have embarked on a two-day nationwide protest and rally against hunger and hardship from Tuesday 27th  to February 28th, 2024. 

 

On Monday night, a statement by its Head of Department Public Affairs, Benson Upah called on its members to converge at the Labour, Headquarters by 7 a.m. local time for take-off and directed its Chapters nationwide to do same.

 

According to the NLC, the protest and rally which will be peaceful, is to draw the government’s attention to what it called the economic hardship Nigerians are facing adding that the situation is not abating. 

 

In his address before the protest took off from the Labour House, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said that the action sent a direct message to the President that Nigerians are hungry. “We are here for a rally so that Mr President will know how Nigerians feel and know where it is pinching us”.

 

Lamenting the situation, Ajaero said, “Nigerians are dying of hunger due to the economic hardship in the country”.

 

The rally took the protesters to the National Assembly the nation’s legislative arm of government where they submitted the letter of their demands.

 

 Speaking at the National Assembly, the NLC President thanked the protesters for answering the call. “We thank everyone for making this happen. Today has come to pass. They said we should not do it but we are here. We are here because there is hunger in the land.

“History will not forgive us if we do not protest at the level of hunger in the land. It is to signal to the authorities that there is a problem in the land”, he said.

 

He decried the falling value of the naira, growing insecurity, and rising unemployment among other issues.

 

The NLC President also said that immediate measures must be taken to address the sufferings adding that Congress will decide its next line of action after the protest.

 

The NLC President also presented a letter containing Labour grievances to the representative of the leadership of the National Assembly.

 

Receiving the letter of protest from the NLC, the representative of the leadership of the National Assembly, Chairman Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang, said that the National Assembly was aware of the hardship Nigerians are facing and assured the protesters that efforts would be made to urgently address the situation.

 

He promised the letter would be dispatched accordingly to President Bola Tinubu.

 

“We are supposed to stand in for Nigerians where it pinches them. I want to assure you that the National Assembly is very sensitive to what is happening, very sensitive. 

 

“The leadership of the National Assembly, yesterday, the Senate President and the Speaker met. I was with them. We parted around midnight and all the issue is about bringing solutions to the suffering and yearnings of Nigerians. 

 

According to him, Nigeria is presently in a critical period where the leadership is making decisions that would be of economic advantage to all. 

 

“My plea and our plea is for the union to reason with us, understand with us, there is no way we will allow this thing to continue, steps must be taken.

 

“Already the 15th agenda of the Memorandum of Understanding given between government and labour is being tackled. The last issue that is in place is the issue of minimum wage and negotiations are going on. 

 

“There is no way that we will not end up with a resolution and a decision that will benefit Nigerians”, he said. 

 

 Also, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Labour and Productivity, Honourable  Adefarati Adeboyega, appealed for calm.

 

“We will take your letter to the leadership of the National Assembly. Very soon you will hear from us. We are facing the same challenges. The economic challenges and hardships faced by Nigeria is borne by everybody. 

“I want to assure you that the leadership of the National Assembly will look into your request and demands and take swift and bold action. I can assure you Nigeria will breathe again”, he said.

 

Meanwhile, another group in support of the Nigerian President, the “Tinubu Support Group”, was also at the National Assembly.

 

 Security agencies were seen stationed around the various entries and exits of the National Assembly particularly the Federal Secretariat axis to ensure the orderliness of the action.

 

Recall that the NLC had issued a notice to the federal government of its intention to embark on two nationwide protests and rally against what it called the economic hardship and hunger Nigerians are facing. 

 

All entreaties to the Congress by the government and security managers in the country to shelve the action proved abortive. 

 

Dominica Nwabufo