The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday staged a nationwide protests over rising insecurity in different parts of Nigeria.
The NLC, which was joined in the protest by several civil society organisations, called for more government measures to address the spate of insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking on the protest, the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero decried the negative effects of insecurity on Nigeria’s economy, particularly how it is turning away investors.
Insecurity, according to him, “is affecting even investors coming into this country.”
The NLC President stated that the protest is aimed at awakening the government to its responsibilities of tackling crushing economic hardships, insecurity, banditry, and other abnormalities in the country.
Citing examples of how insecurity is affecting workers and everyone else, Ajaero said: “Many workers are being kidnapped on a daily basis. People are killed. In the case of Kebbi, the person killed was a teacher.
“The children who are kidnapped are the children of workers. So, we need to ask the government to help them fish out the perpetrators of this.”
While calling on all Nigerians to play a part in ending the negative developments in Nigeria, Ajaero called for a total overhaul of our value system, describing banditry and kidnap for ransom as acts that are alien to our value system as a people.
“Unless the government is interested in giving us what is called an insecurity allowance because most of the workers kidnapped borrow money, look for someone to pay for their ransom,” the NLC President said.
“So it’s getting to a dimension that we have to equally add our own. We don’t have a gun, we don’t have matchet to go into the bush to look for the people involved, but this is our only contribution, the only way that we are going to tell Nigerians and the international community that this should stop.
“This is not the culture of Nigerians – culture of banditry and insecurity is not the culture of Nigerians. So, we have to condemn it moving forward, and then with that, you strengthen the hands of those in authority to make sure that this does not continue.”
Despite the meeting held with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Tuesday with officials of the labour union, the nationwide protest began as planned on Wednesday.
According to local media reports, the protesters in Abuja marched from the NLC secretariat, under the watch of security agents from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
In Lagos, the NLC members and civil society groups marched from Ikeja, the state capital, to the Government House in Alausa.
The workers decried the spate of kidnappings and other crimes in different parts of Nigeria and called on the state and federal governments to take urgent action to improve the situation.
In Rivers State, the State’s chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), embarked on a peaceful march through the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway from its office.
They expressed concerns over persistent security challenges and their impact on the safety and livelihoods of Nigerians.
The protesters moved to the Rivers State Government House, where they gathered at the main entrance, waiting to be addressed by government officials.
And in Taraba State in northern Nigeria, the workers joined their counterparts across the country to protest and demand better security for lives and property.
The protesters expressed worry over banditry and demanded action, rather than rhetoric.
They urge the government to live up to its responsibility of guaranteeing the safety of Nigerians.
According to reports from the states and Abuja, the protests were largely peaceful and the turnout was impressive.
GIK/APA