The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has decided to suspend its nationwide protests stating they’ve been able to achieve their objectives on the first day of demonstrations.
This decision came after the NLC’s National Executive Council meeting, where it was concluded that the protest had effectively conveyed the pressing issues affecting the nation.
The protests, which were staged in various states across the federation, aimed to address rising inflation, food inflation, forex crisis, and overall economic hardship exacerbated by the removal of petrol subsidy. Despite last-minute talks between the Presidency and labour leaders on Monday night, the protest went ahead as planned.
However, with the objectives of the protest largely met on the initial day, the NLC opted to suspend street actions for the second day. Labour leader Joe Ajaero emphasized that the protest was not solely about a minimum wage review but also about addressing hunger, especially for those currently unemployed.
As part of its strategy, the NLC announced that nationwide action would continue through simultaneous Press Conferences across all states, including the National Headquarters. Additionally, the organization extended its ultimatum to the Federal Government by another seven days, now expiring on March 13, 2024.
The extended ultimatum demands the implementation of agreements reached on October 2, 2023, along with other demands presented during the nationwide protest. If the government fails to comply within the given timeframe, the NLC will convene to decide on further courses of action to address the pressing issues affecting the Nigerian populace.
