The Presidency once again warned the Nigeria Labour Congress on Sunday not to embark on its two-day nationwide protest in opposition to the rising price of dwelling within the nation.
In addition, the police warned in opposition to the disruption of economic action throughout the protest.
The Particular Adviser to the President on Info and Technique, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, and the police handed down the warnings as 65 civil society teams on Sunday pulled out of the deliberate demonstration, warning in opposition to its doable hijack, arguing that it might worsen the deteriorating state of affairs.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, had insisted in a press release on Sunday that the protest can be held on Tuesday and Wednesday as deliberate.
On February 16, the NLC introduced the nationwide protest scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday over the alleged authorities’s failure to implement agreements reached between each events on October 2, 2023, following the elimination of the gas subsidy.
The choice adopted the conclusion of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Authorities to implement measures in opposition to the widespread hardship.
However addressing NLCS’s determination to proceed with the protest regardless of entreaties from varied companies and teams, Onanuga, in an interview with The PUNCH, described it as a “breach of the legislation” and an “unlawful enterprise.’’
He stated, “The attorney-general has written the NLC’s lawyer that the protest is prohibited. So, they’re breaching a court docket order in the event that they wish to go on with the protest.
“We aren’t conscious of any plans to disrupt the protest, however what we are able to verify is that they (NLC) are breaching an extant rule by a reliable court docket that they need to not go on protest. The protest itself is prohibited. So, the NLC ought to bear that in thoughts.”
Warning the NLC on its plan of action, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, stated the command wouldn’t condone any type of violence throughout the deliberate protest.
Adegoke in a press release cautioned the protesters in opposition to disrupting business actions, and vehicular actions within the state, including that anybody discovered violating the rights of others throughout the rally would face authorized repercussions.
The assertion learn, “The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade, has assured Lagosians that the command has put obligatory measures in place to make sure the protection of lives and property, the free circulate of site visitors, and a peaceable setting for finishing up their respective lawful duties.;;
He suggested protesters in opposition to, “an motion able to grounding business actions and obstructing the free circulate of site visitors.
“The command will reside as much as its mandate of guaranteeing that no particular person or group of individuals is allowed to infringe on the basic human rights of others, particularly the rights to freedom of motion and the proper to dignity of human individuals.
“CP Adegoke, subsequently, warns all intending protesters that anybody discovered infringing on the rights of different Nigerians shall be handled in accordance with the legislation.’’
Ekiti police
Equally, the Police Commissioner in Ekiti State, Adeniran Akinwale, stated the power wouldn’t enable a breakdown of the rule of legislation within the state throughout the protest.
Akinwale, who harped on the necessity for peace in Ekiti State and Nigeria, stated, “I’ve a task to play, my very own is to make sure that there may be peace and tranquillity in Ekiti State. In any state of affairs that comes, we monitor and if there may be something, we reply accordingly. However our personal job is to watch to make sure that there isn’t any drawback.
“We enchantment to folks to not truncate the peace Ekiti individuals are witnessing as a result of the current financial state of affairs shouldn’t be palatable, nevertheless, it’s not peculiar to Nigeria or Ekiti alone, so we are going to simply proceed to hope for enchancment within the financial state of affairs in Nigeria.’’
The Delta State Police Command disclosed its plan to deploy personnel to keep up legislation and order throughout the protest.
Revealing this in an interview with certainly one of our correspondents on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer within the state, Vivid Edafe, stated, “We’ll do our regular deployment of officers to keep up legislation and order. The command will difficulty a press release tomorrow to that impact.”
On its half, the Kaduna State police command requested the NLC to shelve the protest within the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, hinged his plea on the precarious state of affairs within the state.
He, nevertheless, famous that ought to the NLC t protest, the command would supply the mandatory cowl for them, warning the protesters to be law-abiding.
Hassan stated, “The command is interesting that the protest shouldn’t even maintain. They need to perceive the character of Kaduna and that it’s not in all places they need to come and protest.
“We now have loved relative peace within the state. We’ll present satisfactory safety for them and we’re interesting to be legislation abiding. Though we now have had a cordial relationship with the NLC for a protracted but when they insist, we are going to give them the mandatory cowl.
“They need to know that the place their rights cease, that’s the place different folks’s rights begin. In actual fact, we’re night interesting that the protest shouldn’t maintain. We’re calling on the hoodlums to desist from infiltrating into the NLC protest.”
Involved by the doable hijacking of the rally, 65 civil society teams below the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society Organisations Discussion board, stated it might now not take part within the demonstration.
The group stated this just a few days after the Division of State Providers appealed to the labour to shelve the protest on the grounds it could possibly be hijacked by fifth columnist to trigger chaos within the nation.
The group in a joint assertion by its Coordinator, Buba Mohammed and Secretary, George Phillips, on Sunday, additionally stated it was making “frantic efforts” to satisfy with the federal government and amicably resolve the problems at stake.
“Any try and embark on a nationwide strike throughout these essential interval of starvation and harsh economic system could possibly be hijacked by hoodlums and legal components, who’ve been ready for the slightest alternative to unleash terror; disrupt public peace, loot enterprise premises and markets,’’ it stated.
NLC allegation
Reacting to the event, the NLC President, Ajaero, claimed that the discussion board was “one of many emergency teams put collectively, funded, promoted and remote-controlled by the federal government to trigger violence in opposition to our members for electing to peacefully protest in opposition to the starvation within the land.”
The president insisted that the protest would maintain in keeping with the choice of the NLC nationwide government council, including that “the pangs of starvation can’t be vowed by bullets or tear fuel.”
In a press release on Sunday, the labour chief alleged a plot to assault the protest, warning that there can be a complete shutdown if assaults or violence had been unleashed on peaceable protesters.
He admonished the federal government to seek out options to the challenges plaguing the nation.
He famous, “In mild of this, we advise the state to placed on its considering cap and discover options to the pains it continues to trigger the folks as an alternative of additional dehumanising them.”
“Nonetheless, whether it is irrevocably set on the trail of violence in opposition to us and different peace-loving Nigerians, will probably be making a pricey mistake as a result of if we’re attacked there shall be a complete shutdown through withdrawal of providers by employees. Let nobody be deceived, we and different disadvantaged Nigerians can’t simply be intimidated.’’
The congress advised the African Union and the United Nations that the proper of the folks to ‘’peacefully protest and demand for freedom from financial slavery and hardship is being threatened by the Nigerian state.”
Talking on Ajaero’s allegation, the Federal Authorities stated it had no intention to disrupt the protest.
The Minister of Info and Nationwide Orientation, Idris Mohammed, stated this in an interview with certainly one of our correspondents on Sunday night time.
The Legal professional–Normal and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had earlier reminded the unionists that there was an current court docket injunction restraining them from embarking on any protest or rally.
However Idris assured that the federal government wouldn’t use power or recruit hoodlums to assault the protesters simply as he faulted the deliberate rally, describing it as unpatriotic.
He stated, “Let me first say the Federal Authorities has no intention in anyway to make use of power in opposition to anyone. What we’re saying is that they need to preserve legislation and order.
‘’The query is why will the NLC wish to go on protest at this significant time when the nation is looking for an answer to financial challenges that we now have?
“If Labour is patriotic sufficient, this isn’t the time for them to go on strike. Their determination to embark on this useless strike now could be fairly unpatriotic.
“The Federal Authorities shouldn’t be interested by utilizing power in opposition to labour or anyone at that. We’re solely interesting to them to see cause and underscore the significance of dialogue on a regular basis.
“In spite of everything, a lot of the agreements we now have with labour have been applied. So what’s the level? I can’t see any cause for them to go on strike at this second. What do they intend to attain with it? What we needs to be in search of is the answer to our challenges.’’
Shedding mild on what the federal government has accomplished thus far post-subsidy regime, the minister acknowledged, “Take a look at the beneficial properties we now have constructed from the elimination of gas subsidy. More cash is being pumped into the economic system. There’s a committee on wage that has additionally been agreed upon.’’
FG faults Labour
Persevering with, the minister defined that the Federal Authorities was doing the whole lot doable to ease the financial crunch and arrest the free fall of the naira.
He additionally confirmed that the federal government met with state governors and personal sector gamers, together with enterprise mogul, Aliko Dangote; Group Chief Govt Officer at Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu; Chairman of Heirs Holding and Transcorp Plc, Tony Elumelu and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu at an important stakeholders’ assembly on the State Home in Abuja on Sunday night.
“The Federal Authorities right this moment met with all of the state governors and organised personal sectors with Aliko Dangote, BUA, Elumelu and others. That’s to let you know that this administration is doing the whole lot humanly doable to resolve the present challenges,” he acknowledged.
Additionally talking on the alleged plot to disrupt the protest, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, stated plots to assault protesters shouldn’t be linked to authorities companies, including that it’s the basic proper of each Nigerian to protest.
Oshundun acknowledged, “Authorities don’t disrupt protests as a result of it’s the basic human proper of any particular person or teams to organise protests.
“I’ve by no means heard of my ministry or any authorities companies being employed to frustrate protests.
“On the a part of the ministry, we now have appealed to Labour to shelve the protests as a result of what they centred their protests on is that the ministry shouldn’t be protecting to the 15-point settlement reached on October 2 2023 however inside the final week, the Minister of Labour and Employment in a launch addressed every of the 15 factors agreements. There may be not one of the 15-point settlement that the federal government has not accomplished one factor or the opposite.
“Nonetheless, we are going to hold interesting to the labour union but when they nonetheless wish to go together with the protests, the ministry needs to be not noted of the assaults on protesters. We’re civilised and we all know the foundations.”
Regardless of the pleas from the Federal Authorities, the Lagos State NLC Chairman, Agnes Sessi, has insisted that there isn’t any going again on the nationwide protest.
Reacting to the warning from the AGF that the protest could possibly be in contempt of court docket, Sessi stated it was inside the basic human rights of its members to carry a peaceable protest.
In a letter dated February 23 and addressed to the counsel for the labour unions, Femi Falana, the AGF stated, “You could want to be aware that the foregoing points or targets are on the core of the pending case earlier than the Nationwide Industrial Courtroom.
“Upon the submission of grievances to the court docket, events within the swimsuit can’t resort to public protests over the identical points, as such conduct quantities to gross contempt and an affront to the establishment of our courts of legislation.
“Due to this fact, the proposed nationwide protest motion in all its ramifications is in clear violation of the pending interim injunctive order granted in swimsuit no. NICN/ABJ/158/2023 Federal Authorities of Nigeria & Anor v. Nigeria Labour Congress & Anor on June 5, 2023, restraining each NLC and TUC from embarking on any industrial motion or strike of any nature.”
However Sessi insisted that the AGF or some other authorities officers or companies couldn’t truncate the union’s deliberate peaceable protest.
Sessi acknowledged, “The AGF can’t say the court docket has dominated in opposition to the protest. There’s a legislation. And this legislation helps our basic human rights. This legislation permits for peaceable protest. You may stage a peaceable protest wherever all over the world.
“It’s our proper; no person can inform us to not assemble. It will be a peaceable protest in opposition to the unhealthy insurance policies of the federal government. They can not inform us to not come out. We’ll come out.
“We shall be civil in our protest, and we are going to present our displeasure concerning the hardship by means of our convergence. We now have the backing of those that know the legislation. Peaceable protest is allowed all around the world.”
Additionally commenting on the AGF’s warning, the Kano State NLC Chairman, Abdullahi Jungle, stated, “We solely take directives from our nationwide physique and never some other organizations.’’
“I can guarantee you that by Tuesday, we’re totally set for the protest and you can too come to witness the method,” he added.
In the meantime, the Nationwide Chief of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti has appealed to Nigerians to be affected person with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Fasoranti acknowledged that the financial measures being applied by the federal government had been troublesome, it was geared toward restoring financial prosperity and stability of the nation.
This was contained in a press release issued by the Afenifere chief on Sunday titled, ‘A particular enchantment to Yoruba/ Nigerians to not take part in any protest or rallies as we undergo the painful surgical resolution to rescue our nation from avoidable demise and to revive it to the trail of glory.’
In line with the nonagenarian, the federal government’s dedication to implementing the financial measures was “a testomony to its dedication to addressing the basis causes of our financial challenges, inherited from the ills of the earlier years.”
The Afenifere chief famous that the elimination of gas subsidy and the floating of the naira was not undertaken flippantly, ‘’as a result of nice injury had been accomplished to the nation’s prosperity by means of the nefarious actions of the brokers of darkness inside the oil and monetary sectors.”
He stated, “These measures by the Federal Authorities, although painful within the quick time period, are designed to create a extra sustainable financial setting that can profit us all in the long term. It requires collective understanding and resilience from each citizen as we navigate by means of these difficult occasions.’’
Whereas imploring the folks to belief within the authorities’s dedication to the welfare of the nation, Fasoranti stated there was a necessity for the folks to have interaction in constructive dialogue and contribute positively to the continuing financial reforms.
Because the chief of Afenifere, we’re actively participating with the federal government at completely different ranges to deal with the considerations of our folks. Allow us to stay steadfast, affected person, and united within the face of those challenges, assured that our collective resilience will pave the way in which for a extra affluent future,” he submitted.
