Tight Security As Labour Holds Peaceful Protest In Abia (Photo)

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC on Wednesday prostested in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

 

The unionists protested over the hike in petrol prices amid tight security.

 

According to DailyPost, the protest, directed by the national secretariat of the NLC, was also against the increase in school fees in Federal Government-owned schools and the general economic hardship in the nation.

 

The Umuahia protest, which was generally peaceful, commenced at Okpara Square event centre and was attended by thousands of workers drawn from different units that make up NLC and TUC.

 

The city was under tight security as men of the Nigerian Army patrolled some major areas of the town, including Market Road, Bank Road, Government House, Aba Road and the Government House Gate.

 

Also, men of the Department of State Services, DSS, and Nigeria Police Force were in their vehicles monitoring the exercise to ensure the protest did not turn violent.

 

Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ken Onwuemelie, arrived at Okpara Square at 9:30 and addressed some members of the NLC to be civil throughout their protest.

 

Banks, government offices and some shops complied with the NLC directive as they remained locked in solidarity.

 

There was a traffic gridlock around the city even as bank customers were disappointed.

 

Addressing the press during the protest, the NLC Chairman in Abia, Comrade Paschal Nweke, and the Trade Union Congress Chairman, Comrade Ihechi Eneogwe, condemned the harsh economic policies of the Federal Government, which they said is taking away the breath from Nigerian workers and artisans.

 

The labour leaders faulted the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government for removing the fuel subsidy without considering the plight of the workers and the entire masses.

 

They regretted that various dialogues they held with the government on resolving the fuel subsidy crises had not yielded any result.

 

The protesting NLC members complained that whatever they receive as salaries have been wiped away by economic inflation.

 

Also speaking, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Professor Osedeke of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, said it was a shame that no oil refinery is functioning in Nigeria despite being an oil-producing country.

 

Also addressing the workers in front of the Abia State Government House, Governor Alex Otti, represented by his Chief of Staff, Caleb Ajagba, said the protest was not staged against the Abia State Government but against the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.

 

He, however, commended the protesters for being peaceful in their demands, saying that the state government shares the worries of Nigerian workers.

 

He noted that he paid the July salaries of workers in the State, in consideration that a worker deserves his pay.