The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has revealed that its members and leadership were threatened and intimidated against carrying out their planned two-day nationwide protest.
The Labour Union, however, revealed that despite the threats, it went ahead with the protest on Tuesday.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who made this known in a press conference on Wednesday, also disclosed that the union got information that several agents were mobilized to cause violence along protest routes, and that is part of the reasons they had to suspend the second day of protests.
It would be recalled that the NLC had declared a two-day nationwide mass protest for February 27 and 28, 2024, over the economic hardship and rising cost being faced by Nigerians since the removal of subsidy on petrol in May 2023.
However, after Tuesday’s successful protest across various state capitals and major cities, the NLC announced the suspension of its planned second-day protest, saying the objectives of the protest have been achieved on the first day.
Shedding more light on the development, Ajaero on Wednesday revealed that the cancellation of the second day protest was a strategic move on the part of the NLC.
He however added that if the federal government fails to comply with the demands of the union withing the new ultimatum given, the National Executive Council of the NLC would reveal the next line of action.
“We were threatened with all manners of consequences that would be meted on us if we went ahead,” Ajaero said during Wednesday’s press briefing.
“We were, however, not perturbed as lifting the heavy yoke of suffering upon Nigerian workers and masses left us with no option than to press on.”
The NLC president said the congress has evidence from Tuesday’s protest of the “importation of agents who were mobilised to the protest routes and grounds to cause violence against the peaceful protest”.
“God is, however, always a step ahead of the enemies of the workers and the Nigerian people. That was also one of the reasons we had to restructure on the second day of the nationwide protest,” he added.
“You may have noticed that almost all the routes to our office have been militarised this morning. It took a lot of time to access our office. These are not things you expect from a democratic society.
We want to reiterate that if the government fails to comply within the specified time frame, the NEC will convene again to decide on the next line of action.
The NLC remains steadfast in its commitment to defending and promoting the interests of Nigerian workers and the downtrodden masses, who will not succumb to intimidation,” he added.
