…Says it can’t withdraw from protest it didn’t organise
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has again, advised the Federal and sub-national governments to listen to the cries of Nigerians and dialogue with the organisers of the planned hunger protest.
NLC in a statement, warned that the use of brute force against protesters would be counter productive.
The labour union in the statement signed by its national President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, also debunked media reports that it had pulled from the planned protest, saying it “cannot withdraw from a protest it did not organise.”
Below is a full text of the statement:
“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. The Nigeria Labour Congress stands in solidarity with the Nigerian people in this 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 counterproductive 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.”
