BY JUDE OSSAI (ENUGU) AND DAVE UKAZ (ABAKALIIKI)
Thousands of Workers in Enugu, Ebonyi States on Wednesday joined the nationwide protest by Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to protest the removal of fuel subsidy by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
The protesting workers in their numbers carried placards with various inscriptions, some of which read, “we demand the release of eight months withheld salaries of university lecturers and workers”, “FG why protect subsidy criminals”, “we demand FG to fix local refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna”,
Others read “We demand that the NNPCL should not determine fuel price for us”, and Eight thousand naira paliative to households is an insult to Nigerians among others.
The Chairman Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Enugu State Chapter, Commrade Fabian Nwigbo while addressing the workers lamented that the hardship the subsidy removal has brought to civil servants whose minimum wage was pegged at thirty thousand naira monthly
He urged the federal government to urgently revert to the old price of petrol, stressing that workers would keep demanding for their right until the federal government relief Nigerians from hardship.
“If the government does not do the needful, the organised labour will take more concrete steps to embark on industrial action”, he added.
Our correspondent reports that Labour members, associate unions, civil society groups gathered at New Market office of the Enugu NLC where the protest took off at 9.50am on Wednesday after 30-minute prayer by the workers to seek God’s intervention.
Security agents with patrol vehicles were seeing guarding the protesters to ensure peaceful protest by the workers.
The protesters marched through new market round about, to FRCN, state secretariat, Okpara avenue, CBN road, shoprite, Otigba junction and New heaven junction.
Also speaking. Trade Union Congress state Chairman, Comrade Ben Asogwa, stressed that if the present dire economic situation is not addressed, workers would continue their agitation.
In Abakaliki Ebonyi State capital, the unions were led by their leaders including Comrade Egwu Oguguo, Samson Nwafor, Ikechukwu Nwafor and others.
The protest kicked off from Abakaliki Township with members of the Unions displaying placards and banners
Security agencies were guarding the unions during the peaceful protest.
Banks, government offices and some shops complied with the NLC directive as they remained locked in solidarity.
There was a traffic gridlock around the city even as bank customers were disappointed.
Addressing the unions before the protest took off, Chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Egwu Oguguo said “We say no to excess hikes in fuel subsidy that has skyrocketed the cost of living.
.”We need to move let our voices heard, let them stop putting their knees on our neck, let them intimidating and oppressing our Nigerian people, Nigerian workers, we must breath. We must shine, we need to shine, we need to move.”
Comment here