By Miracle Ogunde
With the nationwide Protest scheduled to hold tomorrow February 28 and 29 respectively, pressures have continued to mount on the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to shelve his planned industrial action.
However, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, yesterday insisted that the protest would go on as planned.
While maintaining that NLC would go ahead with its plan to protest the “mounting hunger and insecurity” in the country on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ajaero accused the Federal Government of trying to use an amorphous group – Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF) – to attack its members during the rallies.
Ajaero said: “We remain resolute, determined and prepared to express our pain and grief peacefully as Nigerians come 27th and 28th of February 2024.”
He said there would be a total shutdown of the country through the withdrawal of services by workers if any of its members were attacked during the protest.
Ajaero alleged in a statement that the right to protest and freedom from slavery was being threatened in Nigeria.
The statement reads: “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 the government to cause violence against our members for electing to peacefully protest against 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 voices 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.
“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 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 shutdown 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: 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.”
Meanwhile, Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere; Lagos People’s Assembly (LPA) and Arewa Think-Tank have cautioned against blackmailing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with protests.
They stressed that the Federal Government deserves cooperation in its bid to tackle the economic challenges.
Last week, Ohanaeze Ndigbo President, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu urged the NLC to toe the line dialogue, while urging the people to shun any form of protest.
Also, the Directorate of State Service, (DSS) warned that there is a possibility of the protest being hijacked, thereby turning an otherwise peaceful exercise into a violent one.
According to a statement by its spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunnaya, the protest may herald violence that may further impact negatively on the economy.
Similarly, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, at the weekend, warned the NLC leaders not to risk contempt of court.
The Lagos Police Command also issued a warning to protesters against impeding the flow of traffic in Lagos during the protest.
Lagos Police Commissioner, Fayoade Adegoke, said violation of human rights by protesters will not be permitted.
On the other hand, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the second labour centre, has disowned the NLC’s plan, saying it was uncalled for and unilaterally decided.
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