UPDATED: NLC Protests Over Rising Insecurity In Nigeria

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has staged a protest over rising insecurity in different parts of the country.

The NLC was joined in the protest by several civil society organisations on Wednesday.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: No Going Back On Nationwide Protest Against Insecurity – NLC

In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the protesters marched from the NLC secretariat, under the watch of security agents from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

They later moved to the Federal Ministry of Finance.

In Lagos, NLC members and civil society groups marched from Ikeja, the state capital, to the Government House in Alausa.

They decried the spate of kidnappings and other crimes in different parts of Nigeria and called on the state and federal governments to take urgent action to improve the situation.

The Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, embarked on a peaceful march through the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway from its office.

They expressed concerns over persistent security challenges and their impact on the safety and livelihoods of Nigerians.

The protesters moved to the Rivers State Government House, where they gathered at the main entrance, waiting to be addressed by government officials.

Workers in Taraba State also joined their counterparts across the country to protest and demand better security for lives and property.

​The protesters expressed worry over banditry and demanded action, rather than rhetoric.

​They urge the government to live up to its responsibility of guaranteeing the safety of Nigerians.

In Niger State the peaceful protest was led by the NLC State Chairman, Idrees Lafene, alongside other labour union leaders and members, who converged at the Labour House along IBB Road, Minna, from where they marched through major streets of the state capital, drawing public attention to the growing security challenges facing the country.

The demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as “No Security, No Peace, No Development,” “Protect Our Lives,” “Protect Our Communities,” “Secure Nigerians Now,” “Kidnappers, Bandits, Terrorists and Their Sponsors Are Criminals,” “Nigeria Is Bleeding,” “Federal Government, Stop the Criminalities Now,” and “Security and Safety Are Our Fundamental Rights — Stop the Killings.”

Lafene acknowledged the efforts of the Niger State Government and the State House of Assembly in addressing security challenges in the state, but stressed that the current situation demanded more decisive action.

“However, we are on this protest because we are not satisfied. If we were satisfied, we would not have come out,” he said.

He added that no citizen should be forced to live in camps or as internally displaced persons (IDPs), insisting that every Nigerian had the right to live peacefully in their own community.

“We are urging the government to do more, even when we know they are doing a lot. The issue of insecurity is general, and despite the efforts being made, the results are not yet yielding the desired impact.

“The government must intensify its actions, closely supervise security agencies, and put in place strong policies that will ensure criminals are completely driven out of Niger State,” he added.

The protest later terminated at the Niger State House of Assembly Complex, where the demonstrators presented a position paper on insecurity to the legislature.

Receiving the protesters, the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly,  Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, said the House remains committed to addressing security challenges not only in Niger State but across the country.

But the Edo State council of the NLC withdrew from the nationwide protest against insecurity.

​In a chat with Channels Television, the council said the timing of the protest was not appropriate.

​It explained that the state serves as a major transit route to several parts of the country, especially during this period of increased travel.

​It also noted that the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, was currently marking the annual Igue festival, which had attracted a large influx of visitors to Benin City.​

It, however, maintained that the council supports the protest and will join the action once a more convenient date is announced.

Earlier leaders of the labour union, led by its President, Joe Ajaero, gathered at the NLC Secretariat in Abuja.

They were joined by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and his colleagues in the Revolution Now Movement.

Shortly after their arrival, the NLC president and some leaders of affiliate unions had a closed-door meeting while the majority of the workers gathered in groups in and around the premises of the NLC secretariat, awaiting directives from their leadership.

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Ajaero had earlier said that the union’s planned nationwide protest remained sacrosanct.

“I am not sure you have gotten any contrary view that it is not holding. So, unless you have gotten a contrary view, then we can take it from there. The protest is to help this country – to call to attention the effect of insecurity,” he stated shortly after a courtesy visit on the Chairman of the nineteen Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, in Gombe, the capital city of the state.

Ajaero decried the negative effects of insecurity on Nigeria’s economy, particularly how it is turning away investors, saying that insecurity, “is affecting even investors coming into this country”.

According to the NLC President, the protest is aimed at awakening the government to its responsibilities of tackling crushing economic hardships, insecurity, banditry, and other abnormalities in the country.

Citing examples of how insecurity is affecting workers and everyone else, Ajaero said, “Many workers are being kidnapped on a daily basis. People are killed. In the case of Kebbi, the person killed was a teacher.

“The children who are kidnapped are the children of workers. So, we need to ask the government to help them fish out the perpetrators of this.”

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While calling on all Nigerians to play a part in ending the negative developments in Nigeria, Ajaero called for a total overhaul of our value system, describing banditry and kidnap for ransom as acts that are alien to our value system as a people.

Speaking further, Ajaero added, “Unless the government is interested in giving us what is called an insecurity allowance because most of the workers kidnapped borrow money, look for someone to pay for their ransom,” the NLC President said.

“So it’s getting to a dimension that we have to equally add our own. We don’t have a gun, we don’t have matchet to go into the bush to look for the people involved, but this is our only contribution, the only way that we are going to tell Nigerians and the international community that this should stop.

“This is not the culture of Nigerians – culture of banditry and insecurity is not the culture of Nigerians. So, we have to condemn it moving forward, and then with that, you strengthen the hands of those in authority to make sure that this does not continue.”

The labour union had on Tuesday night met President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Villa over the issues raised.

Present at the meeting were Ajaero, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma; Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris; and Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.

Also present were the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, and others.

Shortly after the meeting, Uzodimma explained that consultation among major stakeholders was ongoing.

“Consultation is going on. We are dialoguing. As you said, at the end of the day, you know what you are supposed to know and what you want to know.

“Of course, we are here to serve the country, both the labour, the government, and the governed.

“We are all working in service to the nation,” the governor said.

The labour minister told journalists that the NLC had called for a meeting with the President.

“Citizens who are also members of the NLC wanted to see Mr. President, and they’ve seen Mr. President.

“And of course, you know they are happy they’ve seen Mr. President, and they’ve heard firsthand that at least the President has driven the economy out of the woods, so it’s very good news,” Onyejeocha added.