The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has denied reports that it has called off tomorrow’s mass protest against the removal of petroleum subsidy.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the NLC President Joe Ajaero on Tuesday said the protest is still on and that workers are mobilizing for it.
“We have no reasons to call off the planned protest,” Ajaero said. “If we suspend or call it off, you will know. I can tell you that the mobilization is very high,” Ajaero told Vanguard
In a press release, the NLC clarified its stance:
WE HAVE NEITHER RECONSIDERED NOR SUSPENDED THE NATIONWIDE MASS PROTEST
We want to inform all Nigerians that we have just risen from a meeting with the federal Government where we sought to get them listen to the demands of the people and workers of Nigeria.
The outcome of this meeting earlier today has however not changed anything or the course which we have set for ourselves tomorrow as custodians of the interests and desires of Nigerian workers and people.
Nigerians are advised to ignore the work of fifth columnists who are working hard against the wishes of the people. We urge everyone to gather in our respective states and wherever we may be across the nation to give vent to this collective resolve.
Once again, the Nationwide Mass Protest will start tomorrow.
OUR DEMANDS ARE:
• IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION IN GOOD FAITH OF THE RESOLUTIONS WITH CONGRESS JOINTLY SIGNED WITH GOVERNMENT AND TUC
• IMMEDIATE REVERSAL OF ALL ANTI-POOR POLICIES OF GOVERNMENT INCLUDING THE RECENT HIKE IN PMS PRICE, SCHOOL FEES AND VAT
• FIX OUR LOCAL REFINERIES IN PORTHARCOURT, WARRI AND KADUNA
• RELEASE OF 8 MONTHS WITHHELD SALARIES OF UNIVERSITY LECTURERS AND WORKERS
• ACCORD APPROPRIATE RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT TO THE PRESIDENTIAL STEERING COMMITTEE AND THE WORK OF ITS SUB COMMITTEES
• TO PUT A STOP TO INHUMAN ACTIONS AND POLICIES OF GOVERNMENT.
The protest is scheduled to take place in Abuja and other major cities across Nigeria.
The NLC has also announced that a nationwide protest against the recent fuel pump price hike, increase in tuition fees in public schools, and withheld salaries of lecturers and workers in universities will begin at 7:30 am in Abuja and across all States in the Federation.
NLC Head of Information, Comrade Benson Upah, told journalists that workers and civil society organisations will gather at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, and State chapters will also start protests simultaneously.
The NLC met with the presidential steering committee on palliatives on Tuesday, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.
The NLC remains opposed to the removal of the subsidy, which has lead to higher prices for fuel and other goods.
The NLC expressed doubts about President Bola Tinubu’s ability to control inflation and gasoline prices due to the unification of the exchange rate.
What goes around comes around, when southwest, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the likes of pastor Tunde Bakare organized protest against former president Goodluck Jonathan for attempting to remove fuel subsidy then heaven didn’t fall and nobody was arrested, We have always known some of these people to be hypocrites and very mischievous in nature, Now, there isn’t any need for NLC not to go on with this protest