Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Workers in Ebonyi State on Tuesday joined their counterparts across the country to protest against economic hardship.
The workers were led by the Nigerian Labour Congress Chairman in the state, Ọgụgụa Egwu.
They bore placards with various inscriptions some of which read: ‘FG should end hunger now; Nigerians are dying of hunger.’
The protesters, who marched around major streets and roads in Abakaliki, converged at the Pa Ngele Ọruta stadium from where they started the march.
Speaking during a brief stop at Udensi Roundabout near the old Government House, Mr Ọgụgua Egwu noted that the workers are the worst hit.
He said: “Nigerian people are dying, we are suffering and smiling. It is obvious that Nigerian people despite the hardship we face on daily basis they still try to move.
“It is obvious that the pain is too much and we are here to use every legal means to tell the world that indeed we are pained, that indeed we are suffering.
“We are here not against anybody, we are here because we are hungry. Starvation has become a burden among Nigerian people, starvation has become a burden among the workers.
“A worker cannot even afford a square meal, a worker cannot feed himself not to talk of his family; a worker cannot afford to take himself to work and yet we call ourselves Nigerians.
“We have children but we cannot take them to school, we have children but we cannot even afford to feed them. A sachet of pure water is more than N50, a litre of fuel is more than N700, a kilogram of cooking gas is more than N1400, a bag of cement is more than 10,000 as we speak, a bushel of rice is more than N30, 000.
“We shall not continue to be silent, we shall continue to speak out, we shall continue to let the ruling class know that the period of oppression is coming to an end and Nigeria must be good again,” he said.
Security operatives were on hand to escort the workers around during the protest to ensure it was not hijacked.
