The Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday said it would not be part of the two-day warning protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over “mounting hardship and insecurity nationwide.”
TUC, the umbrella body of senior public and private sectors in the country, explained that although it was not in support of the demonstration which begins today, the President Bola Tinubu administration needed to act decisively to end pains triggered by some of its policies.
It, therefore, listed 15 ways, including increased minimum wage and an end to World Bank dictates, to end the economic crisis and hardship.
Last minute’s meeting by the Federal Government with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to stop today’s protest failed to yield the desired results last night.
NLC President Joe Ajaero, who in the company of his Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Usifo, led the unionists to the parley with government representatives in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) told reporters after the meeting that the protest will go on.
TUC suggested the determination of the real value of Naira; N580 to N650 to a dollar as the rate charged by Customs for products used in manufacturing or tax waiver for manufacturers; immediate deployment of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) officials to monitor the accounts of all bodies that get FAAC allocations directly and probe of the dollarisation of party primaries and electioneering.
Other suggestions are an end to speculative trading in the foreign exchange market; patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods; strengthening the newly constituted economic management team; proper supervision of the activities of banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); end to crude oil theft and increased investment in the oil and gas sector; local refining of petrol; security for farmers, temporary food import; and engagement of states and local councils in the production of at least six different food crops.
TUC President Festus Osifo said at a news conference in Abuja that the senior workers union resolved not to join the protest because demands for cushioning the hardship in the country had been met by the government.
He added that the union would continue to engage the Federal Government on how to meet the remaining demands of workers.
He said: “We were not part of the process or agreement (declaration of a nationwide protest by NLC) ab -initio so there is nothing to opt out from.
“There are different tools to call the government to order. We at TUC felt there was a need to engage the government with superior arguments and that is what we have put forward.
“We will continue to engage the government; we will push them, discuss with them, have meetings with them and proffer solutions. Some of these solutions we have put forward are for immediate implementation, some are for medium-term implementation and some are for long term.
“We believe that some of the immediate solutions we put forward if the government implements them, some of the problems that we face today will ease off. Our solutions are feasible and possible.”
Osifo also revealed that TUC has worked out a figure for presentation to the government as a new minimum wage.
His words: “We will not state any figure categorically but we have computed what we think will work and we will take it to the committee when the real work starts. We have broken into sub-committees so work is going on but government needs to hasten up.
“If you don’t pay the people a living wage you are not just suffering workers and masses but you are transferring it to companies and industries and the economy will suffer because the purchasing power of workers would have been eroded.
“We are proposing issues of policy. So we will be submitting the document to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and also have a conversation with him line by line. We will provide clarification where they have questions.
“What we have here are line times that have one week, two weeks implementation. After the engagement, we will take it to our National Executive Council (NEC) and deliberate on it. We will take a definite position after the NEC meeting.”
* Police place officers on red alert
Yesterday, Inspector–General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun ordered the placement of policemen on red alert to monitor the protest.
Egbetokun, who briefed commissioners of police and their supervising officers on the demonstration, tasked them to ensure the safety of all participants in the protest.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi on the directive reads partly: “The Nigeria Police Force, on the heels of the proposed nationwide protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), hereby affirms the fundamental right of all citizens of the country to engage in peaceful protest in line with extant laws.
“As such, the NPF reiterates its commitment to ensuring the rights and freedom of protesters are protected.
“In line with its lawful duty to maintain law and order, the Nigeria Police Force has deployed personnel nationwide and placed them on red alert to monitor the planned protest.”
The IGP however warned that “any attempt by some individuals who might want to leverage on the nationwide protests, to create brouhaha will be met with an approved legal and proportional force.”
Egbetokun urged all participants in protest to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly.
He also called on the NLC to cooperate with the Police and other relevant security agencies in ensuring that the protest remained peaceful.
In Osun, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) in the state said that it had beefed up security around government assets in the state.
Spokesperson for Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) in the state, Kehinde Adeleke,warned hoodlums against hijacking the protest.
She said, “The command has beefed up security in the state to ensure that protesters do not break laws and order also officers have been deployed to safeguard critical national assets and infrastructure,“ she said.
*NLC pushes ahead with plans
Some state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and maritime workers yesterday said they were set for the warning demonstration.
The councils are those of Oyo, Delta, Abia, Anambra, Rivers, Cross River, Kogi, Imo, Plateau, Katsina, Kaduna, Benue, Ebonyi and Jigawa states.
To ensure orderliness, the Delta State NLC pegged the number of participants from its affiliate bodies at 50. In Jigawa State, it is a maximum of 150 per affiliate union.
Although they assured that the protests would be peaceful, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun directed all Police commands to place their men on red alert.
In some of the states like Lagos, Ebonyi and Delta, heavy police presence was observed at some strategic places.
Maritime workers in Lagos, under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), who said they would participate in the protest, assured that port operations would not be affected.
“We will be joining the nationwide protests by the NLC tomorrow (today), but it won’t affect port operations.
“We will just select some of our members to come and show solidarity. We won’t be shutting down port operations,” said MWUN President-General Adewale Adeyanju.
Also, the union, in a statement by its Head of Media, John Ikemefuna, said: Our believes that if the agreement with the Federal Government had been honoured and implemented, it would have gone a long way to ameliorate the sufferings and hardships the government’s ill-conceived and ill-implemented policies have brought upon Nigerian workers and the citizenry of the country.”
However the Supreme Bakers and Confectioners Association of Nigeria said that its members would not participate in the protest.
“Embarking on strike is not an option, rather the government through its relevant ministries should call for a round table discussion to cushion the effects of food scarcity, “ said the association’s Acting National President, Edmund Egbuji.
Egbuji called on “all members of the association “to go about their business of feeding the nation as any contrary action would add to the pains of the overstretched citizens.’’
*Protests in Lagos, Benin
In Lagos and Edo states, some residents yesterday took to the streets protesting hardship.
The protesters in Lagos gathered at the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Yaba office where they were counselled by the state Police Commissioner Adegoke Fayoade to be peaceful during the protest.
At exactly 9.30 am, they moved to Ojuelegba and then to Maryland where their procession terminated before 2 pm.
A picture shared online showing armed police personnel stationed in front of the NLC headquarters made some residents to claim that the place was sealed off by the Police to prevent the protest.
But the Command Spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that police personnel were there to provide security for the protesters.
He said: “The claim is definitely not true. The Police proactively arrived at the scene to ensure adequate security for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and prevent their procession from being hijacked by hoodlums.
“The Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, addressed the protesters before their procession took off in his presence. The procession was peaceful.
“What can be seen in the picture, CP Fayoade addressing the joint security team and charging them to be professional, courteous but firm.
“The procession moved as far as Maryland. The Police were with them all through. The protesters played their part well and did not obstruct traffic.
“The Police provided adequate security and ensured the procession was not hijacked. Everything went fine.”
Heavily armed police operatives were, however, seen at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota and other parts of the state in readiness for the NLC protest.
Protest by members of Edo Civil Society Organisations, (EDOCSO) paralysed commercial activities in Benin, the Edo State capital and its environs.
The protesters called on President Tinubu to address the economic hardship in the country.
They marched from the popular Ring Road to Akpakpava Road and to other busy roads in the ancient city with placards that bore inscriptions like “Nigerians are starving to death.” “Tinubu, end hunger and suffering in Nigeria,” “FG, end hunger in Nigeria now”, and “Tinubu, let Nigerians breathe.”
EDOCSO’s Interim Chairman, Austine Enabulele, said: We have come out to tell President Tinubu to fix the hunger and suffering in Nigeria. Enough is enough. We cannot take the pains anymore. Enough of the hunger, enough of the hardship, enough of bad governance in Nigeria.
“Nigerians are dying every day. Children are now becoming orphans, because their fathers are dying, because of the hardship in Nigeria.
“The President should give value to our naira because Nigerians do not use Dollars. We cannot be living our lives in Dollars.”
However, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) have called on the NLC to engage the government in further dialogue rather than going ahead with the protest.
NAN said warned that the impact of strike on academic activities would be particularly devastating for students, who are already grappling with various challenges within the educational system.
The association, in a statement by its Senate President Akinteye Afeez, added that the disruptions to academic calendars, examinations, and other educational activities could derail the progress of students and exacerbate the already precarious situation in the education sector.
Also, COSEYL said in a statement by its President-General, Goodluck Ibem, urged the labour union to listen to the word of wisdom and cancel the planned strike.
It said: “Though it is the right of Labour unions to embark on strike to press home their demands under a democratic setting if they feel aggrieved to embark on a strike at this time in our nation will increase hunger, suffering, and hardship which will be very disastrous to our economy.”
Adamant Ajaero insists on protest
Last minute’s meeting by the Federal Government with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to stop today’s protest failed to yield the desired results last night.
NLC President Joe Ajaero, who in the company of his Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Usifo, led the unionists to the parley with government representatives in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) told reporters after the meeting that the protest will go on.
The TUC had said its members will not participate in the two-day protest.
Ajaero said: “The rally goes on, but it is part of their constitutional responsibilities to make sure that the rally is peaceful, while we’re going to try on our own side to make sure it’s a peaceful rally.”
He further revealed that the protest would be taken to the National Assembly, where he said the Labour’s demands would be presented to the government.
On the government’s side were Ministers Abubakar Kyari (Agriculture and Food Security); Atiku Bagudu (Budget & Economic Planning: Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (Labour & Employment and Lateef Fagbemi (Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister for Justice).
Also at the meeting were the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan and the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, among others.
On Labour side were the NCL President and his team, as well as the TUC President, Festus Osifo, and his team.
