The Presidency again on Sunday warned the Nigeria Labour Congress not to embark on its two-day nationwide protest against the rising cost of living in the country.
Also, the police warned against disruption of commercial activities during the protest.
READ Nationwide Protest: You’re On Your Own, TUC Tells NLC
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, and the police handed down the warnings as 65 civil society groups on Sunday pulled out of the planned demonstration, warning against its possible hijack, arguing that it could worsen the deteriorating situation.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, had insisted in a statement on Sunday that the protest would be held on Tuesday and Wednesday as planned.
On February 16, the NLC announced the nationwide protest scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday over the alleged government’s failure to implement agreements reached between both parties on October 2, 2023, following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
The decision followed the conclusion of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government to implement measures against the widespread hardship.
But addressing NLCS’s decision to proceed with the protest despite entreaties from various agencies and groups, Onanuga, in an interview with The PUNCH, described it as a “breach of the law” and an “illegal undertaking.’’
On the part of the ministry, we have appealed to Labour to shelve the protests because what they centred their protests on is that the ministry is not keeping to the 15-point agreement reached on October 2 2023 but within the last week, the Minister of Labour and Employment in a release addressed each of the 15 points agreements. There is none of the 15-point agreement that the government has not done one thing or the other.
Despite the pleas from the Federal Government, the Lagos State NLC Chairman, Agnes Sessi, has insisted that there is no going back on the nationwide protest.
Reacting to the warning from the AGF that the protest could be in contempt of court, Sessi said it was within the fundamental human rights of its members to hold a peaceful protest.
