NLC Protests Rising Insecurity in Ekiti, Kano, Demands Urgent Action

Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado-Ekiti and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Ekiti State Kano chapters yesterday  joined their  counterparts across the country in a solidarity protest against the rising wave of insecurity in Nigeria.

The protest, which took place in Ado-Ekiti, was led by the Ekiti State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Kolapo Olatunde, who called on both the Federal and State Governments to take urgent and decisive steps to address worsening security challenges nationwide.

Similarly, the representative of the NLC president in Kano, Comrade Muttaqa Yusha’u, told the protesters that the rally was organised in line with the resolution of the National Executive Council(NEC) of the union. 

Addressing workers and journalists during the peaceful demonstration in Ado-Ekiti, Olatunde said the continued loss of lives and destruction of property across the country had become unacceptable, stressing that Nigerians deserve to live and work in safety.

“We are here today to express our collective concern over the growing insecurity in the country. The safety of lives and property is the primary responsibility of government, and urgent action must be taken to protect citizens,” he said.

Olatunde urged security agencies to be better equipped and supported, while calling for improved intelligence gathering and community-based security measures to curb criminal activities.

Also speaking at the protest, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ekiti State, Comrade Oluseyi Olatunde, called on the Federal Government to adopt a more proactive and coordinated approach in tackling insecurity.

“What we are witnessing across the country requires more than rhetoric. The Federal Government must strengthen security architecture and ensure effective collaboration among security agencies to bring lasting solutions,” he said.

He added that insecurity has negatively impacted workers, businesses and economic activities, particularly at the grassroots level, and warned that continued inaction could further worsen the socio-economic conditions of citizens.

The labour leaders stressed that the protest was peaceful and aimed at drawing attention to the urgent need for comprehensive security reforms to restore public confidence.

They urged governments at all levels to prioritise security, improve welfare for security personnel and engage relevant stakeholders to address the root causes of insecurity.

Speaking in Kano, Yusha’u said: “We are here in Kano in respect of the decision of the National Executive Council, which is the highest organ of the Nigeria Labour Congress, to stage a peaceful rally nationwide to raise awareness and also to strengthen the hands of government at both national and state levels in addressing security challenges.”

He reaffirmed the commitment of the NLC to a peaceful, humane and egalitarian Nigeria, noting that persistent insecurity had continued to undermine these ideals. 

 Also speaking, the Kano State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Kabir Inuwa, said the protest was aimed at expressing the displeasure of workers over the worsening insecurity across the country. 

“We are protesting over the prevailing insecurity bedeviling the country. We are doing the right thing by peacefully expressing our concerns over the myriad of security challenges facing Nigeria,” Inuwa said.