The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) refuted claims that it has backed out of the proposed nationwide protest, emphasizing that it can’t pull out from an event it didn’t arrange.
In a statement released on Wednesday by its president, Joe Ajaero, the NLC reaffirmed its earlier plea for the government to engage with the protest’s organizers and cautioned that using excessive force would be ineffective.“A news report of the withdrawal of the Nigeria Labour Congress from the widely discussed national protest has been brought to our attention.
The Nigeria Labour Congress debunks such a story as patently false,” the statement read.“The truth is that the Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise. It is only the organisers of the speculated national protest who can decide to pull out or continue with the protest.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress has internal trade union mechanisms, especially leadership decision-making processes, that its industrial actions such as protests pass through before such activities are undertaken.“Yet, the fact that the Nigeria Labour Congress is not the body organising the protest does not mean that Organised Labour is oblivious to the dire living conditions Nigerians have been subjected to by the harsh economic policies of the government.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress stands in solidarity with the Nigerian people in these very trying and excruciating times.“Under proactive engagement with the issues canvassed by the protest organisers, we have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite the leaders of the protest movement to dialogue on their demands.“We have advised that it would be counterproductive for the government to meet the widespread anger in the land with brute force.“Once again, we implore the Federal Government and the sub-national governments to listen to the cries of the Nigerian people and do the needful.
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After all, it is said that the voice of the people is the voice of God.”A planned nationwide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance is scheduled to be held from August 1 to 10, 2024. It is gathered that the protest is being organised due to the economic hardship in the country.
Source: The Guardian Newspaper
