The Ogun State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has joined nationwide protests against the challenges stemming from the removal of fuel subsidies, leading to increased prices of essential commodities, notably food.
NLC leadership revealed that the two-day rally, scheduled for today and tomorrow, aims to press both the federal and state governments to address issues of insecurity, hunger, and the persistent increase in poverty nationwide.
Addressing journalists prior to the commencement of the protest rally, Ogun State NLC Chairman, Comrade Hammed Ademola-Benco, emphasized that the rally was centered on securing favorable outcomes for Nigerians and not aimed at confronting the government.
Ademola-Benco expressed,“This 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 rooftop.
“The wage award that they promised is still not being paid by many states, the government must stop carrying on as if all is well. 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
The chairman mentioned that the leadership of the union’s 40 affiliates in Ogun State is actively present to partake in the peaceful rally.
The National Vice President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights,Comrade Yinka Folarin, lamented the regrettable situation where a government that pledged renewed hope for Nigerians has, instead, disappointed the common man in the country.
Folarin said, “For instance, insecurity is one of the contributing factors to scarcity of food and the exorbitant prices, this government has not demonstrated enough commitment to serve Nigerians. Things must change because Nigerians did not file out last year in February to vote for hardship and the way things are in the country.”
Security agencies, including the police, DSS, and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, are present to ensure law and order.
