NLC declares “No turning back” on protest

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reiterated that its nationwide protest against insecurity, slated for December 17, will go ahead as originally announced..

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, stated this in Gombe after a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya.

He said there had been no contrary directive to suspend the protest, stressing that it remained “sacrosanct”.

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According to Ajaero, the protest is intended to draw urgent attention to the worsening insecurity in the country and its devastating impact on the economy, workers and investors.

He noted that insecurity is discouraging both local and foreign investment and compounding the economic hardships faced by Nigerians.

The NLC president said the demonstration is meant to awaken the government to its responsibility of addressing banditry, kidnappings and other security challenges.

He cited cases of workers being kidnapped and killed, including a teacher who was reportedly murdered during a recent attack in Kebbi State, adding that many of the abducted children are the offspring of workers.

He demanded decisive action from the government to end the spate of kidnappings, noting that victims often resort to borrowing money to pay ransoms.

Meanwhile, Governor Yahaya said the state civil service needs a strong and productive workforce to achieve positive development.

Speaking at the official flag off of the NLC state secretariat, he described workers as indispensable partners in governance, stressing that their welfare had remained a central focus of his administration since assuming office in 2019.

He stated that the project was designed to provide the organised labour with a befitting secretariat after decades of operating in a temporary office.

He explained that the government had sustained a culture of dialogue, mutual understanding and shared responsibility with the organised labour, a strategy he said had helped strengthen industrial harmony and productivity across the state.

The governor recalled that Gombe was among the first states in the country to implement the National Minimum Wage despite limited resources, describing the move as a deliberate investment in human capital development.