The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said history would not forgive the leadership if it fails to mobilise people to protest the current economic hardship in the country.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero who stated this in a statement on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, said, it would be a grievous conspiracy that history will not forgive if the leadership folds its hands and pretends that all is well.
Comrade Ajaero was responding to the earlier call by the Department of State Services (DSS) to shelve its planned nationwide protest scheduled to take place between the 27th and 28th of this month in the interest of peace and public order.
The President said, the leadership of NLC was intrigued by the innuendos of the Service, their philosophy of “peace” and wild allegations, adding that no one loves the country more than NLC, therefore, would never do anything that would compromise its sovereignty or security.
He noted that the Union would not have it blackmailed or lied against by the Service, emphasizing that the protest is a peaceful one against the unpardonable cost of living of which the unserviced personnel of the Service are also victims.
The statement read thus:
“We are concerned by the unsolicited advice of the Department of State Security to shelve our planned protest against the unprecedented high cost of living in spite of the indescribable suffering in the land, spiralling inflation, deepening poverty, and the Naira at an exchange rate of N1,900 to the US Dollar.
“According to the Service, the planned protest should be shelved “in the interest of peace and public order”, pre-supposing that the action is intended to be violent and disruptive even when we have a history of peaceful protests.
“More worrying is the new role the Service has assigned to itself, the chief spokesperson of the government. According to the Service, “It is common knowledge that all levels of Government are striving to ameliorate the prevailing economic condition and as such, should be given a benefit of the doubt, So far, appropriate authorities are working assiduously with a spectrum of stakeholders to fashion out modalities to address the current difficulties”.
“We are equally worried that although the “Service is aware that some elements are planning to use the opportunity of the protest to foment crisis and by extension, widespread violence”, and yet have not executed the arrest of these elements.
“We are equally intrigued by the innuendos of the Service, their philosophy of “peace” and wild allegations and we want to reassure them that no one loves this country more than us and on our honour, we would never do anything that will compromise its sovereignty or security.
“Having said this, we would not have ourselves blackmailed or lied against by the Service. Our protest is a peaceful one against the unpardonable cost of living of which the unserviced personnel of the Service are also victims. We cannot fold our hands and pretend all is well. That will be a grievous conspiracy that history will not forgive”, the statement read.
