Economic Hardship Protest: TUC Tackles NLC, Says Action May Bring Anarchy

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has issued a cautionary statement regarding the upcoming protest scheduled for February 27th and 28th, spearheaded by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), expressing concerns about the potential for anarchy.

The union emphasized that the nation is currently in a volatile and tense state due to widespread hunger. Dr. Tommy Etim, the Deputy President of the TUC, conveyed this warning during an interview with Saturday PUNCH.

Organized Labour intends to stage a two-day strike on Tuesday and Wednesday to protest the prevailing hardships faced by Nigerians, exacerbated by the sharp rise in prices of goods and services following the removal of fuel subsidies and the depreciation of the naira, among other factors.

Protests have erupted in various states, including Kano, Niger, Oyo, and Osun, with demonstrators urging the government to take decisive action to alleviate the hardships. Nigeria’s annual inflation rate surged to a nearly 28-year high of 29.9% in January, surpassing market forecasts.

The cost of food has reached unprecedented levels, with a bag of long-grain rice priced at N77,000. Numerous online videos depict citizens lamenting the soaring prices of everyday items like toothpaste, butter, and canned tomatoes, while appealing to President Bola Tinubu for intervention.

Many individuals have expressed readiness to join the NLC protest to demand a shift in the country’s economic trajectory. However, the TUC distanced itself, claiming unawareness of the planned rally, which caused a division within Organized Labour.

Despite the NLC’s insistence on proceeding with the two-day rally, the TUC has declared its non-participation, deeming the timing of the protest inappropriate and cautioning against plunging the nation into anarchy.

Etim criticized the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, accusing him of unilateral decision-making and neglecting TUC members in the declaration of the strike. Etim highlighted four instances where the NLC disregarded TUC’s input, portraying it as a deliberate pattern of exclusion.

He said, “When one claims that a mistake is done and it is one that a mistake can be accepted as a mistake, but, when it is up to four times, it is now a deliberate action.

“The first thing is that when you issue an ultimatum to the government, the NEC is supposed to meet to review it. When they do, they will then make a decision.

“In this case, the ultimatum given to the Federal Government was still on and the NLC president decided to announce that they would be going on protest as though he had not been in industrial relations practice or law. It baffles us. We cannot take that.

“What is the essence of unionism if you don’t come together for a particular cause? So, adopting a situation where two centres have been on the ground and one feels it has superior knowledge is not a good one at all.

“I feel that he should be sensitive to know that the struggle is not a one-party affair and we must save the country. We have to be a united force. And we have also said that a people united cannot be defeated. The President must leave up to his responsibility.”

In a conversation with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, Benson Upah, the Head of Information for the NLC, affirmed that the scheduled protest would proceed as planned. He emphasized that the congress remained in communication with the TUC.

“We are going ahead with the protest come February 27 and 28. There is no reason for us to change our minds on that,” Upah noted.

READ ALSO: NLC, TUC Issue 14-day Nationwide Strike Notice to FG

Regarding Etim’s assertion about the TUC’s marginalization by the NLC, Upah calmly remarked, “We maintain communication with the TUC. We are unified as one family.”

Nevertheless, Etim contended that the TUC had not yet received an apology letter, emphasizing that the NLC must recognize the impossibility of undertaking national duties amid disunity.

He reiterated that the discord between the labor unions would not impede addressing the workers’ requirements.

“Whatever happens now will embolden us. There is no organised labour trade centre that cannot fight on its own, but we decided to come together. We feel that fighting alone without unity will not give us the result,” he added.

Etim suggested that Organised Labour could achieve its demands without resorting to protests. He emphasized the importance of strategic engagement instead. He warned that proceeding with the planned protest might lead to it being hijacked by anarchists, resulting in chaos.

He said, “If we carry out a protest in this time of hunger and we may meet anarchy. A hungry man is an angry man, and any protest at this time can snowball into a revolution, which we cannot contain.

“Take what happened in Imo State where Ajaero himself went there after several warnings. If not for the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the NLC leader would have been killed.

“When there is tension in the land, we must be very sceptical and strategic in our agitation. We are not babies; we have been long in this struggle. I, for one, have been in this struggle for 35 years. Sentiments and pride don’t pay.”

Regarding speculation that the TUC could have been influenced by the Federal Government, Etim remarked, “Everyone has their own viewpoint, but one undeniable truth remains: hunger transcends religious, political, or ethnic affiliations.”

“Whether you are a big man or not, your family members are also feeding on you; and if they are parasitic, you will know that one rich man in a community is poor.

“Whatever we are doing, we must recognise that it is time to rescue Nigeria and we cannot just sit down and say a protest will solve the matter.

“Yes, we can mobilise. Yes, protest is our right. But, I think we should be strategic to know that we must carry everyone along rather than thinking we can do it alone. A fight of this nature is not a one-man fight.

“We at the TUC don’t issue threats and back down. The NLC is synonymous with issuing protest threats and backing out, and we don’t want to be a part of that. Any day we issue a notice of action, we carry it to the letter. If you follow our trajectory, you’d know that we always walk our talks.”

The police commands of Taraba, Kaduna, and Rivers have issued warnings to hoodlums, advising them to avoid protest sites during the upcoming rally organized by the NLC.

In a statement released on Friday, the Taraba State command announced that it had placed its officers on high alert to prevent any potential disturbances by hoodlums during the protest.

Although the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Usman Abdullahi, was unreachable for comment, a senior police official from the Taraba command confirmed that the Commissioner of Police had deployed sufficient personnel to oversee the protest and maintain law and order.

“In our meeting earlier today (Friday), we deliberated on security issues in the state, including the planned protest by the NLC. I can assure you that our personnel are on red alert to prevent any break down of law and order,” the senior officer said.

In Kaduna, the state police command has urged the leadership of the NLC to reconsider their planned two-day nationwide protest. ASP Mansir Hassan, the command’s Public Relations Officer, emphasized the importance of this plea due to the fragile situation in the state, which has enjoyed a period of relative peace recently.

While acknowledging the NLC’s decision, Hassan assured that the police would offer adequate protection to the protesters if they proceed with the demonstration. Nevertheless, he cautioned the NLC to conduct themselves with utmost civility and respect for the law.

Highlighting the boundaries of rights, Hassan reminded members of the Organised Labour that their rights should not infringe upon the rights of other citizens.

Furthermore, Hassan issued a stern warning to potential troublemakers, urging them not to disrupt the peaceful nature of the protest.

In Kaduna, the state police command has urged the leadership of the NLC to reconsider their planned two-day nationwide protest. ASP Mansir Hassan, the command’s Public Relations Officer, emphasized the importance of this plea due to the fragile situation in the state, which has enjoyed a period of relative peace recently.

While acknowledging the NLC’s decision, Hassan assured that the police would offer adequate protection to the protesters if they proceed with the demonstration. Nevertheless, he cautioned the NLC to conduct themselves with utmost civility and respect for the law.

Highlighting the boundaries of rights, Hassan reminded members of the Organised Labour that their rights should not infringe upon the rights of other citizens.

Furthermore, Hassan issued a stern warning to potential troublemakers, urging them not to disrupt the peaceful nature of the protest.