Nationwide Protests: Senate in talks with unions
On Wednesday, the Senate set up a committee to engage with protesting unions who had broken down the first gate of the National Assembly Complex.
The protesters, numbering in the hundreds, marched from the Unity Fountain in Abuja to demonstrate against the “anti-poor” policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
After their arrival at the NASS Complex, Senate President Godswill Akpabio held a closed-door session with lawmakers and emerged with the decision to form a three-man committee to meet with the protesters at the National Assembly.
Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South Senatorial District led the committee.
In addition, the Senate decided to meet with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to seek an amicable resolution to the ongoing impasse.
Later, Senators Ndume, Ireti Kingibe, and Tony Nwonye met with the protesters at the National Assembly and engaged in discussions with NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo.
READ ALSO: Protesters march to NASS complex, break down gate to gain entry
“The peaceful protest is an expression of the workers’ grievances against the government’s policies that have negatively affected the masses,” Senator Ndume said during the meeting.
The Organised Labour, including the NLC and the TUC, commenced protests in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and other states like Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.
“The government must listen to the cries of the people and address the concerns raised by the unions,” NLC President Joe Ajaero stated.
The protests were triggered by President Tinubu’s decision to remove subsidy on petrol during his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023. This led to a drastic increase in the petrol price from N184 to over N620, causing soaring food prices and inflation at an unprecedented rate.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had previously issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate reversal of all “anti-poor” policies, including the recent hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), increase in public school fees, and the release of eight months’ withheld salary of university lecturers and workers.
“We demand an immediate upward review of the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000,” TUC President Festus Osifo emphasized.
The union also called for urgent measures to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians who have been greatly affected by the removal of petrol subsidy.
Despite several meetings between the Presidency and the unions on providing palliatives for Nigerians suffering from the hardship caused by the petrol subsidy removal, no agreement was reached.
“We will continue to push for a fair and just resolution to the current impasse,” Senator Ndume assured the protesters.
The situation remains tense as both the Senate and the unions seek to find common ground in resolving the issues raised by the protests.
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