#Subsidyprotests: Banks, offices shut amid rallies, labour demands N200,000 wage
Banks, offices and other businesses in many parts of the country were shut on Wednesday following a rally by organised labour in protest against the failure of the Federal Government to provide palliatives to cushion the pains of fuel subsidy removal.
Several economic and commercial business premises were shut down in parts of the Federal Capital Territory and Abakaliki and other urban areas while many travellers were also stranded.
The organised labour was insisting on N200,000 minimum wage for workers and other palliatives for Nigerians as a condition to call off their protests.
The protesters led by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Festus Osifo, subsequently met with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Villa on Wednesday evening.
They were also slated to meet with the National Assembly leadership on Thursday (today) after their emergency National Executive Council meeting.
During the rally, the labour leaders met with National Assembly leaders where they vented their grievances over the worsening social and economic conditions in the country brought about by the fuel subsidy removal.
The protesters commenced the street rally around 8.30 am from the Unity Fountain, Maitama, Abuja and proceeded to the Ministry of Justice, and from there to the National Assembly gate where a mild confrontation ensued between them and the security personnel on duty.
The protesters had asked the security agents to grant them access to lawmakers who were screening ministerial nominees.
But as the security operatives delayed, the impatient protesters pulled down the gate and thronged into the assembly complex where they interacted with the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, who represented the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking on behalf of the workers,Banks, offices and other businesses in many parts of the country were shut on Wednesday following a rally by organised labour in protest against the failure of the Federal Government to provide palliatives to cushion the pains of fuel subsidy removal.
Several economic and commercial business premises were shut down in parts of the Federal Capital Territory and Abakaliki and other urban areas while many travellers were also stranded.
The organised labour was insisting on N200,000 minimum wage for workers and other palliatives for Nigerians as a condition to call off their protests.
The protesters led by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Festus Osifo, subsequently met with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Villa on Wednesday evening.
They were also slated to meet with the National Assembly leadership on Thursday (today) after their emergency National Executive Council meeting.
During the rally, the labour leaders met with National Assembly leaders where they vented their grievances over the worsening social and economic conditions in the country brought about by the fuel subsidy removal.
The protesters commenced the street rally around 8.30 am from the Unity Fountain, Maitama, Abuja and proceeded to the Ministry of Justice, and from there to the National Assembly gate where a mild confrontation ensued between them and the security personnel on duty.
The protesters had asked the security agents to grant them access to lawmakers who were screening ministerial nominees.
But as the security operatives delayed, the impatient protesters pulled down the gate and thronged into the assembly complex where they interacted with the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, who represented the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking on behalf of the workers,were displeased with the palliative measures rolled out by the Federal Government.
Responding, Bichi said the state government was not at war with labour, assuring that he would convey their message to the governor for deliberations toward addressing their demands.
“The state government will do everything humanly possible to address the demands of labour toward ameliorating the current hardship, caused by the removal of fuel subsidy,’’ he stated.
The NLC in Kaduna similarly held a street rally in protest against the palliatives unveiled by the Federal Government.
The state governor, Senator Uba Sani, was represented at the rally by his Special Adviser on Labour Matters, Adamu Samaila.
Chairman of the NLC in the state, Ayuba Suleiman, advised the President to use the proposed N8,000 palliative ‘’to revive the country’s refineries.’’
Suleiman insisted that the refineries should be revived, noting if the four refineries were working, “we will refine our oil here in Nigeria.”
“Use the money you want to borrow from the World Bank to revive our refineries, use the proposed N8,000 palliative to revive our refineries. We don’t need the government palliative,” he said.
The state TUC Chairman, Abdullahi Danfulani and the National President of the National Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, John Adaji, also urged the President to consider the plights of the Nigerian masses in his policies.
The protest which started from the NLC Secretariat, along Race Course Road, terminated at the main bowl of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.
Police appeal
Meanwhile, security operatives were stationed at strategic places in the metropolis but business activities and office activities, including human and vehicular movements in the state, were normal.
In Ilorin, members of the labour unions and civil society organisations participated in the protests.
The protest, which kicked off as early as 8.30 am, was led by Saheed Olayinka and Tunde Joseph, state chairmen of NLC and TUC, respectively. Some of the protesters brandished placards with various inscriptions.
Earlier in the day, the state Commissioner of Police, Mrs Ebunoluwarotimi Adelesi was at the NLC Secretariat where she appealed to the workers to go about their protests peacefully.
She led policemen on surveillance operations during the protest along Ahmadu Bello Way, Post Office area, Challenge, Unity Road, Taiwo, Ministry of Agriculture and Fate Road.
During their rally, the NLC Chairman in Sokoto, Abdullahi Aliyu, said the rally was not meant to vandalise government properties but rather to express the grievances of Nigerian workers about the living conditions in the country.
“We are calling on the government at all levels to do all that is required in order to bring relief to the masses who are currently finding it difficult to pay their bills,’’ he appealed.
In Lokoja, Kogi State, the organised labour admonished the government to reverse ‘’all anti-people policies that posed hardship to Nigerians.”
The call was contained in a protest letter written by the NLC president and delivered to Governor Yahaya Bello.
The state NLC Chairman, Gabriel Amari who read the letter, said the recent removal of fuel subsidy without commensurate palliatives for the masses had caused untold hardship in the country.
“The federal and state government should expedite action in ameliorating the pain and suffering of Nigerians before it get out of hand,’’ he advised.
Bello, represented by his deputy, Chief Edward Onoja, appealed for patience, assuring that measures are being put in place to address the hardships in the country.
Like in other states, the protest was also peaceful in Lagos where the protesters challenged the government to provide palliatives for the citizens.
The Deputy President of NLC, Adeyanju Adewale, who addressed the protesters who converged at Ikeja, Lagos, stressed that the organised labour was not out to fight the government.
He stated, “They should not see us as if we are fighting them (government), we are not fighting them (government). What we are asking for is to give us sound palliative incentives that will take care of our families. I think that is our struggle, it is a struggle of survival.”
The Lagos State chapter Chairman of the NLC, Agnes Sessi, said the leadership of the union had called an emergency NEC meeting in Abuja.
Sessi added that the next line of action would be determined by the outcomes of the NEC meeting.
“Our leadership has called for an emergency NEC meeting tomorrow (Thursday), so we will know the way forward from the outcome of the NEC meeting,’’ she noted.
In Edo State, the workers defied a downpour to protest the removal of subsidy which has led to an increase in fuel price as well as the costs of goods and services.
The Edo State NLC Chairman, Odion Olaye, led the protesters who had placards bearing various inscriptions such as ‘Let the poor breathe’, ‘Stop reckless fuel price increase’ and so on.
The Gombe State NLC Chairman, Yusuf Aisha, asked Governor Muhammadu Yahaya to put pressure on the Federal Government to address the demands of the union, adding that “Nigerians have suffered a lot within the few weeks of the removal of oil subsidy.”
But the protest by workers in Borno State was restricted to a particular area to forestall a possible breach of the fragile security in the insurgency-troubled state.
In Katsina
