We are not behind planned protest – NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it is not behind any planned nationwide protest over the current economic hardship in the country.

According to reports, some youths are planning a nationwide protest between August 1 and 15 against the rising cost of living and economic hardship in the country.

President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, in a statement personally signed by him on Wednesday, denied reports that it had withdrawn from the  protest.

According to Ajaero, the union “cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise”.

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He said: “A news report of the withdrawal of the Nigeria Labour Congress from the widely discussed national protest has been brought to our attention. The Nigeria Labour Congress debunks such a story as patently false.

“The truth is that the Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise. It is only the organisers of the speculated national protest can decide to pull out or continue with the protest.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress has internal trade union mechanisms, especially leadership decision-making processes that its industrial actions such as protests pass through before such activities are undertaken.”

While advising the government to negotiate with the leaders of the protest, he noted that it would be counter-productive for “the federal government to meet the widespread anger in the land with brute force”.

He said: “The fact that the Nigeria Labour Congress is not the body organising the protest does not mean that Organised Labour is oblivious to the dire living conditions Nigerians have been subjected to by the harsh economic policies of government.

“We have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite the leaders of the protest movement to dialogue on their demands.

“We have advised that it would be counter-productive for the government to meet the widespread anger in the land with brute force.

“Once again, we implore the Federal Government and the sub-national governments to listen to the cries of the Nigerian people and do the needful. After all, it is said that the voice of the people is the voice of God.”