Sophia Michaels
The Anambra State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday joined others to protest against the hardship in the country.
The protesters held a peaceful march against the hardship caused as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.
Various bodies that make up the union gathered at the state office of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), from where the protest kicked off.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, marched to Ekwueme Square in Awka, a short distance from the NULGE office.
The placards bore many inscriptions such as “End fuel price increase,” “Fix our local refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna,” “No to jumbo pay for politicians,” “Stop naira devaluation,” and “We cannot bear the suffering any more,” among others.
DAILY POST reports that only a few workers joined the protest, just as the leaders of the various unions were also reluctant to hold the protest.
A union leader who spoke under the cover of anonymity said: “The protest is majorly against the federal government, so there is no need for us to go around picketing state workers since Governor Chukwuma Soludo has been consistent in the payment of salaries and other benefits.”
The state chairman of NLC, Humphrey Emeka Nwafor, who addressed the protesters, said: “The hardship Nigerians are passing through in this present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is too much.
“Other Nigerians should equally add their voices against the current economic status of the country. We demand that the FG pay the eight-month salary of university workers.
“The FG should not allow private companies to determine the price increase of petroleum products for Nigerians when we have our regulatory agency. We are not accepting the N8,000 palliative.”
He said further: “As I speak, the cost of living here in Anambra State is very high. The current house rent in Awka is higher than in other state capitals of the Federation, while workers’ monthly salaries remain the same.
“We called on President Tinubu to reverse all the anti-people policies he has put in place for the sake of the poor masses. This protest match is a warning to the Federal Government to do what is right to save Nigerians from hardship.”
