Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organisations, on Tuesday, held to their vow as led hundreds of their members on protest to the Lagos State where they presented a letter of resolutions to the parliament for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for final submission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The protesters, comprising representatives of various unions in their hundreds and led by leading rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, marched peacefully from Ikeja, even stopped at intervals to address passers-by and motorists, who were held in traffic jam as a result of the protest march.
The letter reached Alausa Secretariat where they converged to address members.
It would be recalled that the national body of the NLC had announced a two-day protest against hardship and hunger affecting workers and Nigerians in general, following a failed dialogue between it and the Federal Government to reach a truce.
Speaking during the protest rally, Falana faulted provision of palliatives being doled out by the government, saying that such was not enough to address the economic challenges facing Nigerians.
He said that the government should rather address youth unemployment, calling on the state to put in place a law on social security.
“We want a bill for social security in the state, and if Lagos can start, other states will be compelled to follow suit.
“It is no longer enough to give palliatives; it must be on a permanent basis, and that is why a social security bill must be passed by the house in the interest of our people,” he said.
Falana hailed the NLC and the CSOs on the peaceful protest, saying that their approach in fighting for their rights was a major victory in the annals of the country’s history as he recalled that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, had earlier written: “to the police that what you are doing today will be contemptuous of court.”
“What you have done today is a major victory in the annals of our history.
“The Attorney-General of the Federation wrote to the police that what you are doing today will be contemptuous of court.
“We replied the government on behalf of NLC that there is nothing contemptuous in enforcing your rights.
“In this particular instance, you insisted on your rights and that is why the Inspector-General of Police came out today,” he said.
On the Oronsanye Report, and the Federal Government’s decision to implement it, the Lagos lawyer said he did not see its implementation helping in reducing the cost of governance.
Speaking with newsmen afterward, Falana said Nigeria can’t continue to implement policies that would further impoverish her people, maintaining that the citizens must continue to protect their rights as, according to him, they have the right to complain and assemble peacefully and demonstrate in line with the provisions of the constitution.
“We can’t continue to implement no liberal policies that’ll further impoverish our people-Falana
“Nigerians must continue to protect their right. Nigerians have the right to complain and assemble peacefully and demonstrate in line with the provisions of the constitution.
“I am so delighted to see Nigerians and the Civil Society Organisations make the point that we are a free people.
“We are agitating that the destructive policies of IMF and World Bank should be dropped. The Federal Government should dialogue with Labour unions and other stakeholders to tie the fate of our country.
“We can not continue to implement no liberal policies that will further impoverished our people,” he said.
The State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Funmi Sessi, presented the resolution letter to the Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, for onward transmission to the Governor Sanwo-Olu, calling on members of the House to amend bills that would improve the living conditions of residents.
Besides, she urged the speaker to communicate to the governor to come out to address them tomorrow on how numerous challenges facing the country were being handled “because we will be at the Assembly again to continue our protest.”
“We hope that you are going to help us pass our message to the Governor of Lagos State.
“We want the governor to come out tomorrow to address us because we will be at the Assembly again to continue our protest,” she said.
“We want the state of our dilapidated roads fixed. Today is just the beginning, tomorrow we will come out again.
“We have restricted this protest march to only a few members of our unions. If we ask every union to bring out their members, this place will not even contain us talkless Nigerians.
“This peaceful rally, we want the President to hear that Nigerians are hungry. The center can no longer hold. We are hungry and angry. And we don’t want to be pushed to the wall.
“We want government policies to be positive that will bring great relief to the generality of the people.
“With the escalated prices of services and goods, this is enough. But we still believe in this country, we don’t want this country to go down, but we want our leaders to wake up because successive governments have done enough damage.
“But Mr. President knows that the office is a continuous one and the challenges ahead of him were daunting. He took the job and said he would wipe away our tears.
“During his campaign, he promised us to ‘Fokan Bale’ (relax), we can no longer ‘fokan Bale,’ again.
“The only solution to ‘fokan Bale’ is to quickly, without wasting time, do the needful on stomach infrastructure.
“The government should deploy to all the constituencies, local governments, state councils, markets, churches, mosques, everywhere food items. People are dying of hunger,” she demanded.
The Speaker, Hon. Obasa, represented by the Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Adams, in his response, said that the state government was already working to implement the relief measures as rolled out a few days ago by Governor Sanwo-Olu.
Obasa assured that government would take into consideration their demands, even as he further assured that their resolution would submitted to the governor.
“We will pass your resolution to the governor to roll out permanent palliatives to the people of the state.
“About six days ago, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, rolled out palliatives, such as reduction in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fares and other ones.
“Also special committee has been inaugurated to ensure implementation. By the grace of God, we are assuring you that things will get shaped in Lagos, in particular and Nigeria, in general,” Obasa said.
“On the issue of Falana that mentioned about social security and employment bill, we will look into it and something will be done about it.
“Secondly, to the leadership of the NLC, you will acknowledge Lagos is one of the safest state in terms of security in Nigeria. We are passionate on the issue of creating a State Police. Lagos State is ready,” he added.