The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called on the Federal Government that what Nigerians need at this excruciating hardship in the country is a conscious and deliberate action and not mere rhetoric’s. President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, stated this while addressing the leadership of the National Assembly when the lawmakers came to receive the protesting workers who stormed the national legislative complex to register their discontent over hardship currently facing the Nigerian common man.
According to the NLC President during the protest rally, the level of hunger in Nigeria required urgent intervention by those in authorities before it gets out of hand.
Ajaero charges President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate capacity by taking immediate actions that would reverse the current high cost of living being experience in the country under his administration.
In his statement, “This is not to use theoretical or rhetoric solutions. Serious intervention actions must be taken by government immediately to save the citizens from death and the country from a civil unrest.
“Across Nigeria, the murmuring and dissenting voice of displeasure is growing stronger by the day, it will be unfortunate and regrettable if the government allows the voices in the shadows growing snowballed into a mob action. Our rally today is a kind of early warning to what may come if government hesitates to act now.
“Members of the National Assembly should know that they will not be speared if things go out of hands. We are not coming here every time to register displeasure or letter for the fun of it. If you refuse to take action too, you will equally have yourselves to be blamed.” Ajaero, said.
Upon receiving the demand letter presented by the protesting workers, Chairman Senate Committee on Labour and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang, promised that the NLC and its civil society demands will be looked into with immediate effect at the plenary of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
The lawmaker promised that that the Senate President will transmit the position of workers to President Bola Tinubu, and ensure urgent action is taken to end hardship.
The content of the demand letter delivered by the NLC top President Tinubu as sighted by our correspondent contain the following; “Employment generation through massive investment in agriculture and value-added manufacturing, immediate subsidy to farmers to boost agricultural production and food security and open all food storage silos and enforce equitable distribution across the country.”
Others include, “Immediate fixing of abandoned factories and revival of local production and patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods and services, fixing of the four refineries as a matter of urgent national priority, make electricity and water available, affordable and accessible to all citizens.
“Massive investment in road/rail infrastructure and social housing, immediate deployment of cheap mass transportation, buses powered by CNG to ease the crisis of transportation for the poor people, an end to further privatization and liberalization of the economy and take control of the commanding heights of the economy in the line with section 16 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the NLC urged the president to prioritize going after the oil subsidy cabals and other economic related saboteurs instead of settling political scores with opposition as well as halt the dollarization of the Nigerian economy.
NLC further added that wasteful spending of those in the corridor of power should also be looked into while adequate funding of healthcare and education should be prioritised.
Provision of social welfare scheme for the aged and the vulnerable were not left behind in the demand of the NLC, payment of all outstanding pension arrears, fast-tracking of the negotiation on the new National Minimum wage and its implementation will go a long way, it said.
Most importantly, the Labour advised Tinubu that Nigeria is a sovereign state and is not obliged to be manipulated by the IMF and the world bank to the detriment of its people which president Tinubu had sworn to protect.
Members of Civil Society Organisation and NLC members were all present at the rally.
