By Press Release
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, says it has not pulled out of the planned national protest over hunger and high cost of living in the country.
The NLC while debunking report of withdrawal from the protest said it cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise.
It has advised the federal government and the sub-national governments to listen to the cries of the hungry Nigerian people and do the needful.
A statement on Wednesday, signed by the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, further reiterated the earlier call by the labour movement that government should dialogue with the organisers of the protest, warning that any resort to the use of brute force would be counterproductive.
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The statement entitled “The Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise,” partly read: “A news report of the withdrawal of the Nigeria Labour Congress from the widely discussed national protest has been brought to our attention. The Nigeria Labour Congress debunks such story as patently false.
“The truth is that the Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise. It is only the organisers of the speculated national protest that can decide to pull out or continue with the protest.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress has internal trade union mechanisms especially leadership decision-making processes that its industrial actions such as protests pass through before such activities are undertaken.
“Yet, the fact that the Nigeria Labour Congress is not the body organising the protest does not mean that Organised Labour is oblivious of the dire living conditions Nigerians have been subjected to by the harsh economic policies of government.
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“The Nigeria Labour Congress stands in solidarity with the Nigerian people in these very trying and excruciating times.
“Pursuant to proactive engagement with the issues canvassed by the protest organisers, we have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite the leaders of the protest movement to dialogue on their demands.
“We have advised that it would be counter-productive for government to meet the widespread anger in the land with brute force.
“Once again, we implore the Federal Government and the sub-national governments to listen to the cries of the Nigerian people and do the needful. After all, it is said that the voice of the people is the voice of God.”
FG’s plan to stall protest
Amidst growing hardship in the country, the Federal Government said it is not sleeping on duty, begging for more time from Nigerians in the face of calls for a nationwide protest against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Describing the planned protests as a “family matter”, the government said all issues would be resolved in a way to ensure the peace and stability of the country.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja after a meeting held by members of the Federal Executive Council, at the instance of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF, Senator George Akume.
In a brief interview after the closed-door meeting, Idris said; “We came together to discuss. You can see that this is not happening at the Council Chambers.
“It’s happening at the office of the SGF and many of the ministers are here.
“We have discussed issues of national interest and all of us are working for Nigeria. We hope and believe that Nigeria is going to be great again.
“No one is going to sleep. Those who are agitating and asking for protests are Nigerians.
“They are our brothers, they are our sisters. They are all Nigerians and those in positions of authority; the ministers, the President, everybody, we are all Nigerians too.
“So, this is a family matter. This is a Nigerian family issue and all of us are looking at this issue very well and we hope that peace will prevail at the end of the day.”
… on engagement with protest organisers
Asked whether the government has been engaging with the stakeholders and organizers of the planned protest, Idris said engagement has always been an ongoing thing.
“This is not a peculiar situation. Engagement has been ongoing. The President has met severally with all key stakeholders.
“I have also been meeting with stakeholders, other government functionaries have also been meeting with other key stakeholders.
“Engagement is going to continue, and in the interest of Nigeria, we will continue to engage. We know this is the only country that all of us have and at the end of the day, Nigeria is going to be better for all of us for it,” he stated.
On the alleged insistence by some top Nigerians including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, that the protests must go on, Idris said the senior lawyer was entitled to his opinion in a democracy.
“He is an individual. This is a democracy, everyone is entitled to his opinion. The protesters are also Nigerians, this is a democratic situation.
“What I keep saying is that we are all Nigerians and we are all acting in the interest of Nigeria. But suffice it to say that yesterday, Mr President said there is no need for any protest, let us calm down.
“A lot is happening, Nigeria is going to move and march on and we believe that whatever government comes out with will be in the interest of Nigeria.
“We don’t think that there is a need for any protest, we are appealing for calm, we are appealing for a peaceful resolution or a peaceful approach to any issue.
“If you have anything that you want to put out there, you are free to put it out there. But the government is insisting that we are all Nigerians, we have to be calm, we have to be patient.
“Mr President is working round the clock, his ministers are working, everyone is working. All hands are on deck.
“Like I said yesterday, everyone is listening; we are all listening, the President is listening and he has a message for all Nigerians. That message is that they should all calm down, they should please give the man more time.
“Everything they asked for, all their pleas will be answered,” he added.
Roll call
Some of the ministers who were at the meeting included Nyesom Wike (FCT), Yusuf Tuggar (Foreign Affairs), Zephaniah Jisalo (Special Duties), Tahir Mamman (Education), and Abubakar Bagudu (Budget and Planning).
Others were Wale Edun (Finance), Mohammed Idris (Information), Bello Matawalle (Defence), David Umahi (Works), and the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, among others.
