Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Organised labour under auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has alleged that the Federal Government has perfected plans to attack its members during its scheduled February 27 peaceful rallies across the country.
With regards to the February 27 and 28 proposed national protest rally, NLC said the workers have remained resolute, determined and prepared to express their pain and grief in a peaceful manner.
A statement signed by the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, alleged that one of the groups being primed to attack the protesters during the peaceful rallies is the Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF).
The labour movement urged the international human rights body and the governments of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to note that the right of the people to peacefully protest is being threatened.
The NLC had declared a two-day national protest for February 27 and 27 against the worsening hardship in the land and alleged Federal Government’s non-implementation of the agreement reached on palliatives to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy on workers and general public.
NLC President, Ajaero, while addressing the media in Abuja on the resolutions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the labour movement held Friday morning, said that organised labour was displeased by government’s continued delay in executing the agreement it reached with the workers since October 2023.
In the statement, NLC said: “We would want to inform Nigerians that the state has perfected plans to attack our peaceful rallies across the country.
“One of the groups being primed to attack our peaceful rallies is by a nebulous name, Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF).
“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 the state 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 instances of state-engineered violence.”
The labour union further stated that: “In light of this, we advise the state to put on its thinking cap and find solutions to the pains it continues to cause the people instead of further dehumanizing 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.
“Lest 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.
“We are by this statement calling the attention of the international human rights body and 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.”
