Last-minute troubleshooting efforts by the federal government to avert a two-day warning strike and national protests against economic hardship in the country failed on Monday night, following insistence by the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC to go ahead with its activities.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting hosted by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume in his office, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said it is the duty of security agencies to provide cover for peaceful protesters.
Promising to ensure peaceful protests, the labour leader said the demands of organized labour would be presented to the National Assembly.
He said; “The rally goes on but it is part of their (security agencies) constitutional responsibility to make sure that the rally is peaceful, while we are going to try on our own side to make sure it is peaceful.
“Usually, there is no rally that we just do for the sake of walking around. We have demands that we present. Maybe by Tuesday when we present these demands, a copy of it will be made public”.
Government officials at the meeting included SGF Akume, Ministers of Agriculture; Budget and National Planning; Labour and Employment; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, as well as the Director General State Services DGSS, leaders of the Trade Union Congress TUC among others.