On Tuesday, workers belonging to the Nigeria Labour Congress in Benue State gathered to demonstrate against the economic challenges prevalent in the country.
The members of the union, commenced their demonstration from the NLC state secretariat situated along Otukpo Road and marched to the capital city of Makurdi. Their procession culminated at the government house, marking the endpoint of their protest march.
Speaking during the protest, the State Chairman, NLC, Comrade Terungwa Igbe lamented that Nigerians are passing through hardships following the bad economic policies of the Federal Government.
He emphasized that the substantial rise in living expenses has significantly affected workers and appealed to Tinubu to promptly execute policies aimed at mitigating the hardships faced by citizens.
Additionally, Mr. Rapheal Amokaha, the Zonal Coordinator of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Nsukka Zone, expressed that their present salaries are no longer sufficient to sustain two individuals for a month, attributing this predicament to the exorbitant cost of living prevailing in the nation.
“If not for the economic hardships inflicted on Nigerians by the President’s policies, we won’t be talking about salaries here. Our salaries can not feed two people for a month,” Amokaha said.
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Addressing the workers, the State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia,stated that the government acknowledges the hardships experienced by both workers and other citizens across the nation.
Alia, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Paul Biam, provided assurance to the protesting workers that their concerns would be conveyed to Bola Tinubu.
He said, “As a government, we are completely in agreement with the facts that workers and indeed Nigerians are going through tough times. We have to accept these realities in our faces. It is only when we accept and try to bring up policies that can cushion this that we can live better.
“We are in complete support of whatever legitimate ways you are doing to ensure that the government is on her toes to bring in policies that will alleviate the sufferings of the masses.
“We are aware of your sufferings. We understand your predicament. Please be assured of the Governor’s concern and worry. We understand your predicaments and we will continue to engage your leadership to ensure that together we build a better Benue,” he said
Protest in Akwa Ibom
Also, Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress joined its counterparts in other states of the federation on Tuesday to protest the economic hardship currently facing the country.
Sunny James, the NLC Chairman in the state, who spearheaded the protest on Tuesday, expressed deep concern over the overwhelming hunger and hardship experienced by the people.
In his remarks to the Speaker of the House, Mr. Udeme Otong, James appealed for his support in motivating fellow members to enact legislation aimed at tackling the challenges faced by the people, thereby ensuring their ability to afford daily food.
He said that Nigerians are suffering due to the unfavorable policies of the present Federal Government.
“We are here to present our position to members of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly that they need to make laws in the direction of our problem, laws that will be beneficial to us. We don’t need laws that don’t make meaning to us.
“If the leaders are not willing to change the situation, we will force them to change the situation. How can we be buying a bag of rice for N95,000 and a cup of garri for N500?
“In Akwa Ibom State, this protest has to be domesticated, we need our gratuity, we need our promotion arrears, we need our 2023 promotion to be released immediately, we need the CNG buses to work, we need our refineries to work, we need an increase in our wages, we need the prices of our staple foods to come down, we need to see rice from Ini; we need to see garri and tomatoes being sold at our secretariat here.
“We are presenting these proposals to the governor, and we give him a timeline, if he does not listen to us, we shall gather again for a protest.”
In his response, the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, described the protest as orderly and peaceful. He pledged to thoroughly examine the requests outlined in the NLC’s letter.
Furthermore, he reassured the protesters of the governor’s preparedness to implement measures aimed at alleviating their distress, highlighting that the three bills slated for passage on Tuesday are designed to reduce the cost of living, particularly concerning the prices of goods and commodities.
He continued, “Be assured that no matter what happens, you have somebody like me who was once a comrade you can rely on. I’ll ensure that all your demands, as contained in this letter, receive legislative action.
“Thank God we have a proactive governor who is on top of the situation. The three laws we are going to pass today will lower the cost of living. The governor has assured me that he will meet with the leadership of NLC and TUC to address some of these issues.”
