By John Ugo, Awka
The protest over subsidy removal by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other affiliate bodies in Anambra State and other states in the South East States on Wednesday witnessed low turnout.
The exercise was however peaceful as the labour leaders kicked against the poor welafre of citizens and the failure of the Federal government to realistically fashion out measures to address the deplorable state of the economy and other key issues affecting the country.
The organized labour recorded very poor outing during the protest across the five states of Anambra’, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo in the South East geo political zone of the country due to the spate of insecurity across the geo political zone.
Many attributed the low number of workers to insecurity caused by the controversial Sit-At-Home order by a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the control of the Finland based and self styled leader as well as the Minister of Government in Exile, Mr. Simon Ekpa.
Activities of IPOB and its militant arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) have tremendously crippled socio – economic wellbeing of residents and people of the region.
IPOB has imposed two weeks sit at home order across the geo political zone which commenced on July 31st and is expected to end on August 14th even despite the assurances of security agencies and state governors of the affected states.
The protest by the labour unions came amid heavy deployment of anti riot policemen in over seven patrol vans to forestall any breach of peace and to ensure orderliness during the protest.
The protest match however kicked off at about 9am along the stretch of the popular Ekwueme Square and ended at the Secretariat complex of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Awka the state capital.
The protesters with placards of different inscriptions called on the t Government to wake up from its slumber and address all the salient issues arising from the recent removal of the petroleum subsidy especially its effect on the suffering poor masses, the astronomical increase in the prices of food items, building materials, high cost of transport fares, high level of unemployment and other attendant implications on families, the manufacturing sector and others.
The members of the executive committee of the NLC, TUC, those of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, Awka chapter, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), and several other affiliate bodies of Labour participated in the protest exercise.
It was learnt that only the Labour leaders resolved to participate during the protest while others members were left out.
The Labour leaders criticized the harsh policies of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu -led federal government, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy.
The protesting labour officials were led by the chairmen of the NLC and TUC in Anambra state, Comrades Humphrey Nwafor and Chris Ogbonna respectively.
Speaking during their separate speeches, the unions noted that the policies of the Federal Government have thrown not only the workers into untold hardship but also the entire citizens of Nigeria.
“The Nigerian people should say no to anti-peoples policies -increase in fuel price, increase in poverty and criminality”, they said
The State chairman of the NLC Comrade Humphrey Nwafor stated that due the peculiar situation in the state, members who could have participated in the protests from various parts of the state, particularly, Onitsha, Ihiala, Nnewi, Ekwusigo, Ekwulobia could not come to Awka for the protest.
Chairman of the ASUU, UNIZIK chapter, Professor Kingsley Emeka Ubaorji lamented that corruption has become the endemic in the country’s socio-political and economic life, even as he decried the lean workers salaries and non-payment of arrears.
He insisted that, “If you crush corruption this country will move forward.
“And the fact is that those of us in the position of leadership are our problems. Instead of supporting a policy for the poor man to survive you are making a caricature of the masses by using the word ‘let the poor breathe.
“The truth is that wickedness is not fair. When you pay somebody a salary of N30,000 and a bag of rice is N40,000 will that N30,000 buy a bag of rice?”, the ASUU, UNIZIK chairman queried.
The TUC state chairman Comrade Chris Ogbonna called on the federal government should reverse the oil subsidy removal and “go back to square one” to ensure that the pump price of petrol is less than N200 per litre.
The Anambra’ State command had deployed seven patrol vans to monitor the protest, provide security for the protesting workers and ensure law and order during the exercise.