Oil Subsidy Price Hike: NLC Mobilises Nigerians To Resist Suffering, Hardship
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called on all the workers and the people of Nigeria, to come together and fight their common enemies in the corridors of power.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called on all the workers and the people of Nigeria, to come together and fight their common enemies in the corridors of power.
The Congress also blamed the suffering of the masses of Nigerians under the present harsh economic crunch on the judiciary, adding that the judiciary, which use to be the last hope of the common man has compromised to frustrate the legitimate agitations against the pump price hike as early announced by the government.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajero, disclosed this on Friday, at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Rain School of the Nigeria Labour Congress held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
In his address to the 2023 batch of the Rain School of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ajero emphasised that the earlier nationwide action which the NLC intended to take was sabotaged by an abnormal injunction procured and served on the NLC, in an unholy circumstances from the Courts by the Government.
According to him, whether the antics of manipulating the Courts to sabotage the Labour's collective resolve would work this time is going to be left in the hands of Nigerians and the seriousness in which they perceived the imminent peril, with the way the lives of Nigerians are being subjected to.
Ajero called on Nigerian workers and Nigerian people to blame all Nigerian's present sufferings, hardships and underdevelopment on the Courts and judiciary.
Ajero reminded Nigerian workers and the people the insensitive and utterly unacceptable hike in the prices of Petroleum products by the government of Nigeria in the midst of the suffering occasioned by the earlier hike of same product price to N537/Litre on the 29th day of May 2023.
According to him, Nigerians were yet to grapple with the shock of that inauguration day price increase, when the government, shocked the masses with the announcement of a fresh price hike to N617/Litre by the agents of the federal government.
He described the newest increase as most unconscionable and a further attempt at emasculating an already suffering and bent Nigerians, who are currently groaning under the yoke of an unbending malevolent group presently occupying the corridors of power.
"We have pointed this out so as to prepare all of our minds on the battle that awaits all of us as we leave this place. The skills we have acquired here must be used to strategically respond to this nascent wickedness if we must remain relevant as the people cry out and ask; where is Labour and where is the NLC?
"A cry is out there in the streets, comrades and we must respond creatively and timely to those calls. It is in the nature and robustness of our response that the testimony of what we have acquired these past days will be borne.
"It is truly going to be a demonstration of our resilience which is a anchored on how we are able to meet with the desires and expectations of those who look up to us for the articulation and defense of their rights and privileges." He said.
He said the essence of conscientising the workers was to prepare their minds on the battle that awaits all the workers and the masses of this country they end the programme.
He challenged them to employ the skills they have acquired during the programme to strategically respond to the nascent wickedness if they must remain relevant as the people cry out and ask; "where is Labour and where is the NLC?"
He explained that the NLC must responde to the cry of the people out there in the streets comrades and must respond creatively and timely to those calls adding that it was in the nature and robustness of Labour's response that the testimony of what they have acquired these past days would be borne.
According to him, it was based on the urgent cry for help by Nigerians that the Labour call on all Nigerians to get ready to join hands with them as NLC begins preparation to build a coalition of all Nigerian people; from the North to the South and from the East to the West.
"A Coalition of the suffering, oppressed and deprived where everyone will be a leader and everyone will be a follower. Hunger and poverty transcend ethnic and religious boundaries and it is our collective and indeed civic duty to save ourselves and our nation from the clutches of these mindless policies
"Nigerians must disregard the state sponsored rallies aimed at further enslaving us. These rallies are clear reminders of the 'Youth Earnestly Ask for Abacha Movement' days and truly forces us to reminiscence the days of the bespectacled dictator who ran roughshod over our nation and trampled upon all known democratic and civil rights of the citizens and workers
"As we brace for another round of struggle for the emancipation of our people and ourselves, we call on all of us who have attended this year’s programme to take charge and provide leadership in their various constituencies so that together, we can generate the critical mass needed to compel this government to listen to the wishes of Nigerian people
"As we brace for another round of struggle for the emancipation of our people and ourselves, we call on all of us who have attended this year’s programme to take charge and provide leadership in their various constituencies so that together, we can generate the critical mass needed to compel this government to listen to the wishes of Nigerian people
"Comrades! Our earlier nationwide action was sabotaged by an abnormal injunction procured and served on us in unholy circumstances from the Courts by the Government
"Whether this antics of manipulating the Courts to sabotage our collective resolve will work this time is going to be left in the hands of Nigerians and the seriousness with which they see the imminent peril which our lives are being subjected to
"That is why we want Nigerian workers and Nigerian people to blame all our present sufferings, hardships and underdevelopment on the Courts
"As we gird our loins with the lessons from our various discourses here and as we eagerly prepare for our various destinations in and out of Nigeria, we urge you not to remain forever as students
"The success of this week can only be measured by what you are able to do with it and how you are able to impact lives and your different unions. Nietsche reminds us that the worst thing we can do to our teachers is to remain students forever!
"We therefore urge you to impart on others the lessons learnt here. Apply them and use it to change whatever platform or society that we come across
"Be worthy ambassadors of this school and let the light that has been lit in you here shine brightly wherever you go and in whatever you do." He said.
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