…“However, Mr President was clear that insecurity would soon become a thing of the past, stressing that additional measures are being taken to address it.
ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliates on Wednesday staged a nationwide protest over the worsening insecurity across the country.
The labour union had earlier announced December 17 as the date for the protest, attributing the action to what it described as Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation.
In a circular issued to all state councils on December 10, following its National Executive Council meeting held on December 4, the NLC denounced the escalating activities of bandits and kidnappers nationwide.
The Congress specifically referenced the abduction of female students from a boarding school in Kebbi State on November 17, expressing anger over the withdrawal of security operatives from the school shortly before the incident occurred.
The union instructed all its affiliates and state councils to fully mobilise workers and civil society groups for the protest.
In a last-ditch attempt to stop the demonstration, President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night held a meeting with the NLC leadership and some state governors, led by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero said the Congress leadership would meet with the President again in January to discuss issues bordering on the financial insecurity facing Nigerian workers.
Ajaero said the NLC engagement with the Federal Government was intended to avert the planned protest, noting that workers who are poorly paid and inadequately fed are more likely to face even greater hardships.
He said, “The action continued this morning (Wednesday), and we are now winding down. We will relay the outcome of our discussions to our members.
“The practice of convening meetings on the day of, or on the eve of, an action is not new.
“However, Mr President was clear that insecurity would soon become a thing of the past, stressing that additional measures are being taken to address it.
“We also discussed financial insecurity, because a worker who is neither well fed nor well paid is bound to encounter more challenges than those who are adequately catered for.
“Mr President said he has positioned Nigeria on the path to prosperity, and we agreed to meet again in January to examine some grey areas that require attention.
“This, he said, would ultimately translate into improved prosperity for Nigerian workers.”
On whether the protest had been called off, Ajaero said the Congress would first brief its members before taking a final position.
“We are returning to our members now and will get back to them. But today (Wednesday) is already over, and our action was not designed to be indefinite. It was a protest. There is no issue of suspension because the action ended this morning,” he said.
Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, said President Bola Tinubu’s intervention was instrumental in de-escalating the situation, noting that a new channel of engagement had been established between the government and organised labour.
Uzodimma disclosed that the President met with the NLC leadership on Tuesday night, where discussions centred on the economy, workers’ welfare, ongoing reforms, national security and other pressing national issues.
According to him, all parties reached a consensus, stressing that national unity and the country’s collective interest remain paramount, while the President’s drive towards economic prosperity was welcomed.
He added that the meeting underscored the need for sustained and regular engagement with the Nigeria Labour Congress, noting that both labour and government were currently aligned on the need to strengthen security and encourage greater investment in the sector.
The governor commended Tinubu for taking time to explain his programmes and initiatives aimed at improving security nationwide, while also praising the NLC for its maturity and commitment to national interest, workers’ welfare and improved security for Nigerians.
On Wednesday, workers across several states and the Federal Capital Territory staged protests in compliance with the directive of the NLC leadership to demonstrate against worsening insecurity.
Protests in Lagos, Abuja, Anambra and other parts of the country highlighted the growing climate of fear, violence and restricted movement that many Nigerians now face daily.
In Abuja, protesters converged at the NLC national secretariat, with security operatives, including the police, civil defence corps and Department of State Services officials, deployed to maintain order.
Addressing workers, Ajaero said the protest was deliberately organised to draw attention to the country’s worsening security situation, warning that insecurity was damaging the economy and scaring away investors.
He lamented the rising cases of kidnappings and killings, noting that workers and their families were increasingly becoming victims.
“Workers are kidnapped daily. People are killed. In Kebbi, a teacher was murdered, and children of workers are abducted. Government must act decisively to bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.
Ajaero described banditry and kidnapping for ransom as alien to Nigeria’s values and called for a coordinated national response to end the menace. He also floated the idea of an “insecurity allowance” to assist workers who are kidnapped and forced to raise ransom for their release.
He stressed that the protest was meant to alert Nigerians and the international community that insecurity must be confronted head-on, urging authorities to strengthen efforts to restore safety nationwide.
In Lagos, the protest commenced at the Ikeja Under Bridge and terminated at the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa. Workers, dressed in union colours, marched alongside civil society activists, chanting solidarity songs and waving NLC flags.
Leading the march were the Lagos NLC chairperson, Funmi Sessi, and human rights lawyer and Labour Ambassador, Femi Falana (SAN).
Sessi later said the turnout reflected rising public frustration and readiness to demand action, noting that the protest, though organised at short notice, recorded impressive participation.
She said labour unions and civil society groups joined other Nigerians to peacefully express concern over rising insecurity, missing persons and widespread criminality, adding that fear had made travelling unsafe during a period meant for celebration and family reunions.
Sessi warned against foreign military intervention, arguing that such involvement often left nations devastated, and urged leaders to honour their constitutional oath to protect lives and property.
Vice Chairman of the NLC Lagos Chapter, Comrade Olapisi Adebayo Ido, said the protest sent a clear message that Nigerians could no longer remain silent.
Falana, addressing protesters earlier, faulted the state’s failure to protect lives and called for urgent reforms of the country’s security architecture, stressing that the right to life and security was non-negotiable.
Similar protests were held in Gombe, Borno, Enugu, Ekiti, Benue, Osun, Abia, Rivers, Imo and other states, with workers, journalists, civil society organisations and artisans participating peacefully.
In some states, labour leaders presented formal letters to government officials, outlining concerns and proposing practical solutions to address insecurity, which they said had cut across religious, ethnic and occupational lines, devastating livelihoods, education, healthcare and national development.
In Sokoto State, the NLC opted for special prayer sessions for peace and security following consultations with stakeholders, amid persistent attacks in several local government areas.
Across the states, labour leaders called for a change in strategy, prosecution of terrorists and their sponsors, increased investment in security, and urgent, decisive action to halt terrorism, banditry and kidnapping nationwide.
The protests ended peacefully, with organised labour reiterating its demand for improved security, protection of lives and property, and the restoration of public confidence across the country.
