…as NASS Leadership say efforts on to urgently address problem
By Gloria Ikibah
The Nigeria labour Congress NLC, has commenced its two-day national protest in Abuja.
The protest strated from the Labour House in Abuja at about 9.36am with members of other Labour like the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, FCT Council, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Construction Workers Union among others.
Also present at the protest was former Country Rep. ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi, Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Siwore among others.
To make their grievances known on the current economichardshipin the country, the protesters had placards with inscriptions such as “#END POVERTY AND HUNGER”, “#FIX LOCAL REFINERIES END SUBSIDY “, “#END NAIRA DEVALUATION; TAX THE RICH SUBSIDISE THE POOR” among others.
Addressing members of the national Assembly on Tuesday at the NASS complex, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who decried that Nigerians are dying of hunger as a result of the economic hardship in the country, urged the Federal Government to urgently address the situation.
Naijablitznews.com reports that Comrade Ajaero led thousands of protesters including civil society organizations in protest against the economic hardship.
He said: “We thank everyone for making this happen. Today has come to pass. They said we should not be 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”.
The NLC President further lamented the falling value of the Naira, growing insecurity, and rising unemployment among other issues.
He said that immediate measures must be taken to address the suffering, adding that the NLC would decide its next line of action.
The NLC President presented a letter containing their grievances to the representative of the leadership of the National Assembly.
Chairman Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang, who accepted the letter on behalf of the National Assembly said they were aware of the hardship and assured that efforts would be made to urgently address the situation.
He promised that the letter would be dispatched accordingly.
“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 12 midnight and all the issue is about bringing solution to the suffering and yearnings of Nigerians.
“We are at a very critical period that Nigeria is taking a decision that would be of economic advantage to all of us.
“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. But steps must be taken.
“Already the 15th agenda of the Memorandum of Understanding given between government and labour are 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.
“I assure you that all of us, the press, general public, everybody is feeling it, but Nigeria will succeed. The president will succeed. We will succeed. We are very sensitive to it. So may God Almighty, help us to maximize our potentials, maximize our natural resources, may we intervene in such a way that all Nigerians will be able to exploit the God-given wealth that we have. We are all on the same page”, he stated.
Also, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Labour and Productivity, Rep. Adefarati Adeboyega, supported his Senate counterpart.
“We will take your letter to the leadership of the Nation Assembly. Very soon you will hear from us. We are facing the same challenges.
The economic challenges and hardship 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 added.
Naijablitznews.com reports that various security agencies were seen stationed around the entery and exit points of the National Assembly particularly the Federal Secretariat axis to ensure the orderliness of the action.
Despite several warning by some security agencies, the NLC went ahead with a protest against the economic hardship in the country.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that the DSS had last week warned that some persons are planning to use the opportunity of the planned protests by organized labour slated for 27th and 28th February to foment crisis and widespread violence.
The Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, DSS National Headquarters in Abuja, Dr. Peter Afunanya, in a statement, had called on labour to shelve the action meant to protest the economic situation in the country in the interest of peace.
He had urged that they pursue dialogue and negotiation rather than engaging in conducts that could heighten tensions in the country.
These entreaties however seem to have fell on deaf ears as the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, insisted that the protest must go on.