…urges him to invite protest organisers for dialogue
NOSA EGHAGHA
ABUJA, Nigeria – As the date for the anticipated national protest approaches, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has called on President Bola Tinubu, to take urgent steps to address the widespread public discontent over the state of the national economy.
This is as the NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero has also urged President Tinubu to engage with the protest movement’s leadership to address their concerns.
While emphasising the urgent need for government intervention, Ajaero said that millions of Nigerians are angry over the state of Nigerian economy.
“Millions of Nigerians are angry about the state of the national economy. A situation where most Nigerian families are forced to eat one miserable meal a day and eating from the dustbin is now seen as luxury beckons for serious intervention by the government.”
Supporting recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Ajaero highlighted the severity of the economic crisis. The NBS reports that about 133 million Nigerians live below the extreme poverty line, while the IRC noted that in the first three quarters of 2024, approximately 32 million Nigerians faced acute hunger.
“When this statistic is added to the millions that are being recruited into the armies of the unemployed and under-employed Nigerians, one can easily situate the hardship, pain, frustrations, and despair that many Nigerians are going through right now,” Ajaero explained. “The truth is that Nigerians have been hard pushed and super pressed right against the walls of deep deprivation and acute want.”
Ajaero criticised the dismissive attitude towards the daily struggles of Nigerians, rejecting claims that the unrest is merely a politically sponsored dissent. “Even if it is so, it is still within the confines of citizens’ rights to protest on political grounds,” he said. “All that the hurting citizens demand from their government is a listening ear and an empathetic heart.”
Highlighting the plight of various affected groups, Ajaero noted, “It is very difficult to tell a Nigerian who has lost his or her job due to the current economic downturn to maintain their cool. It is very tough to advise a nursing mother who is unsure where the next meal for her suckling child will come from to be at ease.”
Ajaero emphasized the importance of respecting Nigerians’ right to voice their grievances. He pointed out that the NLC has previously protested against harsh economic policies, including significant hikes in fuel prices, increased electricity costs, and the duplication of user access charges for public utilities.
“The times require the government to ‘jaw jaw’ and not ‘war war’ with Nigerians,” Ajaero stressed. “The truth is that you cannot smack a child and at the same time ask the child not to cry.”
Moreso, Ajaero warned that hostility towards protesters and other aggrieved Nigerians would not alleviate their suffering or address the root causes of their frustrations.
He urged the government to show empathy and engage in constructive dialogue to find solutions to the country’s economic challenges.
