…thankful it’s protest not lockdown
Shehu Sanni, a former Senator representing Kaduna State, says Nigerians should be grateful to Organised Labour for only calling a civil protest, which further opened the way for dialogue and understanding, and not a lockdown, which would have crippled the economy and caused grave discomfort to citizens across the board.
Senator Sanni said the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protest, which started Wednesday, against government’s petrol subsidy removal and other matters, was a blessing in disguise, as it was kept within limits and all stakeholders had lessons to take away.
He spoke in an interview programme on Arise Television, Wednesday, where he further observed that interaction between government and labour went sour because of communication and attention gaps on the part of government because the current government was new in office and there were not yet ministers in place to articulate and facilitate the interactions.
He said it was for that reason that labour said they visited the Presidential Villa and waited from 3pm to 6pm unattended to, and further observed that the prolonged face-off led to a better understanding by each side, of the other’s views, rationale and expectations.
Also, he observed, the unfolding scenario was a further attestation that government is ultimately accountable to the people, saying events building up to the protest, led President Tinubu to come up with more valuable palliative proposals, including that for 3,000 twenty-five-seater buses, running on cheaper compressed natural gas (CNG) to ease transportation costs for Nigerians.
He stated that governance was about division of labour and that it was a good thing that ministerial nominees were currently being processed by the Senate because they would oil the wheel of administration and facilitate better traction in the running of the country.
The nationwide protest called by Organised Labour kicked-off to a slow and peaceful start Wednesday morning, with more marches and speeches in Lagos and Abuja, Benin City, while activity in most other parts of the country were reportedly low-keyed.
The NLC is asking for the scrapping of, “anti-poor policies of government” including the hike in the pump price of petrol, school fees, and VAT, among others.
The most dramatic activity recorded Wednesday morning was the felling of the gates at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja, as rallies gained momentum.
When the protesters arrived at the National Assembly complex Wednesday morning, the gates were locked by security officials. The protesters pulled down the gates and forced their way into the complex, chanting solidarity songs. There was no further incident recorded.
In Benin City, the Edo State capital, the protests were peaceful, as the labour union affiliates from across Edo converged at the National Museum in Benin City.
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other unions including Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), among other trade unions, were present at the meeting point at the Oba Ovonramwen square popularly called Ring Road.
Meanwhile, the Senate has set up a three-man committee led by Senator Ali Ndume, to meet with the leadership of Organised Labour. The Senate also resolved as a matter of urgency, to meet with the NLC and TUC leadership to find an amicable resolution to the current impasse.
Ndume alongside two other lawmakers — Senator Ireti Kingibe and Senator Tony Nwonye — later met with the protesters at the National Assembly.
The Senators were seen engaging the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo.
