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Ag.
President Yemi Osinbajo receiving the 18-Point Demands by Labour Movement for
Good Governance from the Nigeria Labour Congress President, Ayuba Waba and the
Trade Union Congress President, Bobboi Kaigama (l) at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 09/02/2017
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Organized labour,
yesterday, at a protest rally in Abuja and Lagos against worsening hardship and
frustration in the country, asked the Federal Government to change its style of
governance and implement people-oriented policies to avert a looming social
uprising.
Vanguard
report continues:
Leading
aggrieved workers and other Nigerians, including some civil society allies,
Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC,
made it clear that Nigerians are dissatisfied with the style of governance that
had made Nigerians poorer and unable to cope with the hardship.
They
demanded that the Federal Government make known the identities of those that
looted the commonwealth and also asked that their hands be cut off to serve as
deterrent to others.
The
protest organized by the NLC, TUC and their civil society allies, also lamented
that nothing much had been achieved in the fight against corruption.
To drag govs to EFCC,
ICPC over bail-out funds
The
protesters also disclosed that they would soon drag some of the state governors
to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for allegedly
diverting bail-out funds recently released by the Federal Government for the
payment of workers’ salaries, arrears, pensions and gratuity
Addressing
workers during the protest rally at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, President of
NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said it was unfortunate that a few individuals had
stolen the nation’s commonwealth, while noting that nothing had been done to
bring them to book.
Wants looters amputated
Advising
the government to come hard on the looters of the nation’s treasury, Wabba
said: “We must not allow a situation where a few, because of their interest,
will hold the system to ransom.
‘’We
are demanding that they should be named and shamed. We are also demanding that
one of their hands be cut off so that when we see them, we will know that they
are people that have stolen our money.
Also
speaking, President of TUC, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, said efforts must be made to end
corruption in the country as well as promote good governance.
On
his part, Vice President of IndustriAll Global Union and General Secretary of
National Union of Textiles, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria,
Issa Aremu, said before the increment of petroleum pump prices, organised
labour had predicted what would be the outcome of the government policy, adding
that the predictions had come to fruition.
Saraki reacts
Responding,
the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, said it is time to go into action
towards addressing the numerous challenges confronting Nigerians, adding that everybody
should sit down and work out how to make necessary adjustments.
He
said: “It can’t continue this way, the exchange rate is high, cost of things in
the market has gone high but only the workers’ salaries remained the
same. When next we meet, I will tell you what the National Assembly has
done to improve the living condition of Nigerians.”
Protesters stopped from
entering Villa
But
the protesters were stopped by security operatives from gaining access to the
Presidential Villa to deliver their protest message to Acting President, Prof.
Yemi Osinbajo.
The
workers were stopped at the Federal Secretariat by heavily armed security
operatives at about 11.05 am and were asked to send a delegation to take their
message to the Presidential Villa.
Initially,
the workers rejected the request, insisting the Acting President either sends a
representative to receive their message or be allowed to gain access to the
villa to deliver the message.
They,
however, nominated 20 representatives from among them to take their message to
the Acting President while the rest waited for their leaders as music of
legendary Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, late Bob Marley among others, rent the air.
Falana urges NLC to
monitor bail-out funds
In
Lagos, the protesters, who displayed several placards to convey their
grievances, marched from Yaba to Ikorodu Road, Mobolaji Bank Anthony
and Obafemi Awolowo Way, en route Alausa, the seat of Lagos State Government,
chanting solidarity songs.
Some
of the placards read: “President Buhari let there be light; End jumbo salary
for all political office holders; Prosecute all indicted persons; Jail all
looters, no sacred cows; President Buhari take time to review power sector
reform; End unpaid salary regime; Pay ₦56,000 minimum wage; Buy made-in-Nigeria
goods and Patronize local fabrics, garments.”
The
Lagos protest was led by Vice President of the NLC, Mr. Amaechi Asugwani,
alongside ace musician, Charles Oputa, alias Charly Boy.
At
Alausa, Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN,
joined the protesters and halted normal business activities when they stormed
Lagos State House for hours.
Addressing the protesters amidst solidarity songs, Falana said Nigerians had been suffering, with no hope that the suffering was ending soon.
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