The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has confirmed that its planned nationwide protest will go ahead on Wednesday, undeterred by a last-minute meeting between its leadership and President Bola Tinubu.
The union’s President, Joe Ajaero, made the declaration while addressing journalists at the Labour House in Abuja on Wednesday morning, firmly stating that the protest “would hold as planned.”
This decision follows a late-night meeting on Tuesday, where President Tinubu engaged with labour leaders in an effort to persuade them to shelve the mass action. The protest is primarily against the prevailing economic hardship and the high cost of living in the country.
Details of the discussions between the President and the NLC leadership have not been fully disclosed. However, Ajaero’s brief but definitive statement indicates that the talks did not yield an agreement sufficient to call off the planned demonstrations.
“We are proceeding with the protest as scheduled,” Ajaero told reporters, signalling a potential showdown between organised labour and the government.
The protest is expected to draw thousands of workers and citizens to the streets across major Nigerian cities to voice their grievances over the economic situation, which has been marked by soaring inflation, the removal of the fuel subsidy, and the fluctuating value of the Naira.
Security agencies and the public are bracing for the impact of the mass action as the nation watches to see how the government will respond to the unfolding situation.
More details to follow…
Discussion about this post