Following the directive of its national body, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Ogun Chapter embarked on a peaceful rally on Tuesday to protest against the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
Recall that the leadership of the labour union declared a two-day protest for Tuesday and Wednesday to compel both the federal and state governments to tackle economic challenges in the country.
The protesters, led by the State Chairman, Comrade Hammed Ademola-Benco, had earlier converged on the premises of the Union in the Leme area and moved through the NNPC junction, MKO Stadium, and Kuto Roundabout.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Let the poor breathe; end hunger and poverty; reject IMF/World Bank policies; stop the importation of petrol; fix refineries now,” among others.
Ademola-Benco, while speaking with journalists, said that the protest was not in any way organised to confront the government of the day but to get good deals for Nigerians.
The chairman explained that the current economic hardship in the country had really affected the psychology of the people.
” The protest rally is about getting good deals for the people of the country. The truth is that people are suffering, many Nigerians are hungry, and the prices of food have reached the roof.
“The wage award that they promised is still not being paid by many states.
” We are only calling on the government to be responsible and attend to our demands, which are about making lives more rewarding and enjoyable for the people,” he said.
The NLC chairman described the industrial action as successful, saying every leader of the 40 affiliates of the union in the state was on the ground to participate in the peaceful rally.
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