The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero has stated that the proposed 2 days nationwide strike billed to hold on the 27th and 28th of this month (February,2024)must go on despite plans by the State governments to disrupt the process.
Ajaero made the assertion yesterday in a statement signed and released by him.
He added “we would want to inform Nigerians that the State has perfected plans to attack our peaceful rallies across the country.One of the groups primed to attack our peaceful rallies is by a nebulous name, Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF)”.
According to the NLC President, “NCSF is one of the emergency groups put together, funded, promoted and remote-controlled by government to cause violence against our members for electing to peacefully protest against the hunger in the land.
We would want all States to know that the solution to our horrible economic situation and hunger is not by suppressing peaceful dissent or inflicting violence on peacefully protesting citizens as the government did in Minna and other cities where its agents tear-gassed and beat up women before locking them up for raising their voice against hunger. It does not lie in the deployment of State -sponsored terror. The pangs of hunger cannot be cowed by bullets or tear gas.
In light of this, we at the Nigeria Labour Congress and civil society allies are moving ahead with our protest rallies against economic hardship and insecurity in line with the decision of the National Executive Council.
As citizens, we have a fundamental right to peaceful protest and history bears us witness that our protests are always peaceful except in times of State-engineered violence”.
The NLC President however advised State governments to put on their thinking caps in finding ending solutions to the pains and sufferings bedeviling the people, instead of further dehumanising them.
“However, if it is irrevocably set on the path of violence against us and other peace-loving Nigerians, it will be making a costly mistake because if we are attacked, there will be a total shut down via withdrawal of services by workers. Let no one be deceived, we and other deprived Nigerians cannot easily be intimidated.
Let those in power now who may have forgotten be reminded, we faced a more resourceful and resilient adversary in order to have democracy. All we are saying now is that,let there be food for the people, let the people live in safety, let the people live a life of dignity devoid of suffocating IMF/World Bank economic policies.
Once again we advise those waiting in the wings to unleash violence on us that this is not about the NLC but about Nigerians who are saying “enough is enough”, about a people who have resolved not to be further pushed into the pit of misery and hopelessness, while a few live in obscene luxury at our collective expense” he said.
Ajaero however, called on the attention of the international human rights body, the governments of the African Union, and the United Nations that the right of the people to peacefully protest and demand for freedom from economic slavery and hardship is being threatened by the Nigerian State.
“We however remain resolute, determined and prepared to express our pain and grief in a peaceful manner as Nigerians come 27th and 28th of February 2024”.
