Millions Of Nigerians Angry, Engage Protest Leaders- NLC Tasks Tinubu

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NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), said millions of Nigerians are pained owing to the harsh economic realities, urging President Bola Tinubu to engage with the proposed protest leaders to avert the growing tension in the land.

This was disclosed in a Presss statement issued by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, on Monday.

“The truth is that millions of Nigerians are angry about the state of the national economy,

“A situation where most Nigerian families are forced to eat one miserable meal a day and eating from the dustbin is now seen as luxury beckons for serious intervention by government.” Ajaero said.

The NLC cited recent statistics to underscore the scale of the crisis. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, approximately

 ” 133 million Nigerians live below extreme poverty lines. Furthermore, the International Rescue Committee reports that in the first three quarters of 2024, about 32 million Nigerians have been exposed to acute hunger.” he said

The NLC leader also lamented the notion that the planned protests are merely politically motivated, stating, “It is, therefore, condescending and dismissive to describe the daily brutish ordeal that Nigerians are going through as a sponsored political dissent.”

Ajaero emphasised the right of citizens to express their grievances, saying, “During these very difficult times, the right of Nigerians to complain must be fully respected.”

He recounted recent protest led by the NLC against various government policies, including fuel price hikes and increased electricity costs.

Ajaero said, “These are dire times. Nigerians are angry. The times require government to ‘jaw jaw’ and not ‘war war’ with Nigerians.

“The truth is that you cannot smack a child and at the same time ask the child not to cry. A stitch in time might still save nine.” he added.

Source: The Punch