The Nigeria Labour Congress’ (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress’ (TUC) continued statewide protest has prompted a response from the Senate.
The Abuja branch of organized labor attacked the National Assembly compound on Wednesday, breaking down the entrance gate in the process, according to an earlier report by Anaedoonline.ng.
In order to voice their displeasure with the President Bola Tinubu administration’s alleged “anti-poor” policies, the demonstrators had descended in their hundreds from Abuja’s Unity Fountain to the NASS Complex.
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After security personnel attempted to stop them, the protesters marched obnoxiously to the NASS Complex, where they violently tore down the first gate.
In response to the situation, the Senate, under the leadership of President Godswill Akpabio, had an emergency closed-door meeting and ultimately decided that the red chamber had formed a three-person committee to speak with the demonstrators at the National Assembly.
According to Anaedoonline, Ali Ndume, the Senate Chief Whip, chaired the team formed to have talks with the protesting unions.
The Senate also decided that it would meet with the NLC and TUC leadership as soon as possible to try to settle the current deadlock amicably.
Ndume later visited with the demonstrators in the National Assembly together with two other politicians, Senators Ireti Kingibe and Tony Nwonye.
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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero and his TUC colleague Festus Osifo were seen interacting with the senators.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and other states of the Federation, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo, according to Anaedoonline.ng, saw the beginning of the organized union’s protests today.
The withdrawal of President Tinubu’s fuel subsidy, which increased the price of the commodity from N184 to over N620, has angered the unions. Meanwhile, food prices and overall inflation are rising at an unheard-of rate.
Last week, the NLC issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and demanded “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers”.
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The union also called for an increase in the minimum salary from N30,000 to N200,000, claiming that since the President’s “subsidy is gone” inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, Nigerians have lost their sense of security.
Numerous talks between the Presidency and the unions to discuss relief measures for Nigerians experiencing hardship as a result of the elimination of the gasoline subsidy were unsuccessful.
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