… Abuja fountain is base for rendezvous today as other affiliates join nationwide
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC will today begin a seven-day nationwide protest to drum into the ears of President Bola Tinubu that governance is not all about providing ‘agbado’, ‘moi-moi’ for the citizenry.
TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports after the failure of several dialogues between organised labour and steering committee had hit the rock, NLC had no choice than to roll out the drums to announce that all is no longer at ease in Nigeria.
Apparently sensing that it’s not going to be an easy ride, President Tinubu had on Monday in a nationwide telecast announced various palliatives to cushion the dangerous effects of his dislocated economic policy that has finally eradicated the Nigerian middle class.
He made it clear on the day of his inauguration that the fuel subsidy has gone forever but forgot that removing the subsidy in phases could go a long way in allowing Nigerians to make structural adjustments.
Tinubu slammed it on Nigerians and the pill became too bitter to either swallow or to vomit.
But organised labour said Nay! We can’t stand aside and watch government implement policies that would choke the poor to death give them palliatives, increase salaries, fix our refineries, provide jobs, then we can continue from there.
To the chagrin of Nigerians, the first palliative that was thrown at already very starved Nigerians was a miserable N8,000.00 monthly succour which amounted to an average of N53 per day which can’t buy a sachet of beverage in a retail store.
This further fueled the anger of labour leaders and Nigerians who felt it was a slap that must not be repeated.
Sensing this could not fly, the Federal Government politely took back its miserable N8,000.00 and now it is settling for more sophisticated methods of finally installing hunger as a birth right in Nigeria.
Attempts to cause diversion and create the impression that the protest would no longer hold today, a dummy was flown that labour was considering calling off the strike.
But NLC in a swift reaction, late Tuesday countered this position and announced all negotiations had failed and the peaceful protest must hold today.
In the statement released and signed by NLC President, it was clearly stated that:
“We want to inform all Nigerians that we have just risen from a meeting with the federal Government where we sought to get them listen to the demands of the people and workers of Nigeria.
“The outcome of this meeting earlier today has however not changed anything or the course which we have set for ourselves tomorrow as custodians of the interests and desires of Nigerian workers and people.
“Nigerians are advised to ignore the work of fifth columnists who are working hard against the wishes of the people.
“We urge everyone to gather in our respective states and wherever we may be across the nation to give vent to this collective resolve.
“Once again, the Nationwide Mass Protest will start tomorrow(today).