Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC in Anambra State, led by its chairman, Comrade Humphrey Nwafor, protested against the economic hardship and insecurity in Awka, the state capital.
Addressing the workers at Aroma, before proceeding to the government house, the chairman of NLC in the State Comrade Nwafor said, “We are marching against the policies that have meted hardship to Nigerian not workers.
“There is hunger in the land. Many of our workers cannot pay their house rent and children’s school fees now. The N30,000 minimum wage which many states are not even paying cannot take us from our workplaces.
“So, there is a lot of insecurity in the land. People are dying like chickens, kidnappings, rituals and banditry are what the NLC is marching against.
The NLC national headquarters, the national executive council, called us to mobilise, and come out en masse so that the society where we live and the world will hear our voice. It is our right to have a peaceful protest march.”
Comrade Nwafor, who appreciated the state commissioner of police for supporting the protest by sending his men to protect the protesters, also thanked the state Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, for coming around with his men to protect the workers.
The ASUU chairman, Anambra State, Professor Kingsley Ubaoji of the Department of Applied Biochemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, called on the government to provide adequate care and support to security personnel who work day and night to secure the country.
Ubaoji equally called on Governor Soludo to look into the poor condition of the state university, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, adding that, “At the moment, nothing is happening at the COOU, lecturers are not happy, retirees are not getting their pensions and the Union of COOU is not functional.”
Also speaking, Dr Njideka Nwangwu, President Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Unizik chapter, said, “The case in tertiary institution is worse as the agreement entered into between the Federal Government and ASSU, have not been implemented.
On his part, the state chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees and vice chairman, of NLC Anambra State Council, Ifeanyichukwu Nweze asserted that workers are the glaring opposition in the nation’s political system.
He called on the Federal Government to review workers’ salaries to a minimum of N1.2 million, insisting that it was one of the solutions that could save workers out of the current situation in the country.
He also urged the state Governor Chukwuma Soludo to resume the payment of the N12,000 wage award which the state had stopped paying for some months now.
Addressing the protesters at government house Awka, Head of Service, Anambra state, Mrs Theodora Igwegbe commended the protesters for conducting themselves peacefully.
“I have taken note of your demands and will present them to the Governor. Be rest assured that the Governor will look into your demands,” she said.
Dominica Nwabufo
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