The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, Joe Ajaero, has warned the federal government against attacking its members during the upcoming 2-day nationwide protest.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NLC president said it would shut down the economy if any of the protesters are attacked.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the labour union has announced a nationwide protest scheduled for February 27 and 28, to kick against the economic challenges facing Nigerians.
But the State Security Services, SSS, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, urged them to shelve mass action to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
In a letter addressed to the counsel for the NLC, Femi Falana, dated February 23, 2024, Mr Fagbemi reminded the NLC of a subsisting order restraining the union from embarking on any industrial action.
In his response to the AGF, Mr Falana argued that the proposed public protest is not contemptuous of the two ex parte orders of the National Industrial Court.
Also, the NLC president, in the statement, alleged that the government had “perfected plans to attack our peaceful rallies across the country.”.
“One of the groups being primed to attack our peaceful rallies is by a nebulous name, Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF).
“NCSF is one of the emergency groups put together, funded, promoted, and remote-controlled by government to cause violence against our members for electing to peacefully protest against the hunger in the land.
“We would want the state to know that the solution to our horrible economic situation and hunger is not by suppressing peaceful dissent or inflicting violence on peacefully protesting citizens, as the government did in Minna and other cities, where its agents tear-gassed and beat up women before locking them up for raising their voice against hunger.
“It does not lie in the deployment of State-sponsored terror. The pangs of hunger cannot be cowed by bullets or tear gas.
“In light of this, we at the Nigeria Labour Congress and civil society allies are moving ahead with our protest rallies against economic hardship and insecurity in line with the decision of the National Executive Council.
“As citizens, we have a fundamental right to peaceful protest, and history bears us witness that our protests are always peaceful, except in instances of state-engineered violence.
“In light of this, we advise the state to put on its thinking cap and find solutions to the pains it continues to cause the people instead of further dehumanising them.
“However, if it is irrevocably set on the path of violence against us and other peace-loving Nigerians, it will be making a costly mistake because if we are attacked, there will be a total shutdown via withdrawal of services by workers. Let no one be deceived, we and other deprived Nigerians cannot easily be intimidated.
“Lest those in power now who may have forgotten be reminded, we faced a more resourceful and resilient adversary in order to have democracy. All we are saying now is that; let there be food for the people, let the people live in safety, let the people live a life of dignity devoid of suffocating IMF/World Bank economic policies.
“Once again, we advise those waiting in the wings to unleash violence on us that this is not about the NLC but about Nigerians who are saying “enough is enough”, about a people who have resolved not to be further pushed into the pit of misery and hopelessness, while a few live in obscene luxury at our collective expense,” Mr Ajaero added.
