By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, told the Federal Government that what is needed in the face of the hardship in the country is serious action and not mere rhetorics.

NLC asked the government to take immediate drastic measures to cushion the worsening hardship and hunger in the country.

President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, stated this when he addressed the leadership of the National Assembly, that came to the receive the protesting workers who stormed the national legislative house to register their displeasure over hardship.

The NLC President, at the protest rally said that the level of hunger in Nigeria required urgent intervention.

He further charge President Bola Tinubu to show capacity by taking immediate actions that would reverse the current high cost of living in the country.

He said, “This is not to use theoretical or rhetoric solutions. Serious intervention actions must be taken by government immediately to save the citizens from death and the country from a civil unrest.

“Across Nigeria, the murmuring and dissenting voice of displeasure is growing stronger by the day, it will be unfortunate and regrettable if the government allows the voices in the shadows growing snowballed into a mob action. Our rally today is a kind of early warning to what may come if government hesitates to act now.

“Members of the National Assembly should know that they will not be speared of things go out of hands. We are not coming here every time to register displeasure or letter for the fun of it. If you refuse to take action too, you will equally have yourselves to be blamed.” Ajaero, said.

Receiving the demand letter from the protesting workers, Chairman Senate Committee on Labour and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang, said the demand of the NLC and its civil society allies will be discussed immediately at the plenary of both the Senate and House of Representatives.

He promised that the Senate President will transmit the position of workers to President Bola Tinubu, and ensure urgent action is taken to end hardship.

In the demand letter to President Tinubu through the National Assembly, NLC asked for; “Employment generation through massive investment in agriculture and value-added manufacturing, immediate subsidy to farmers to boost agricultural production and food security and open all food storage silos and enforce equitable distribution across the country.”

Others include, “Immediate fixing of abandoned factories and revival of local production and patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods and services, fixing of the four refineries as a matter of urgent national priority, make electricity and water available, affordable and accessible to all citizens.

“Massive investment in road/rail infrastructure and social housing, immediate deployment of cheap mass transportation, buses powered by CNG to ease the crisis of transportation for the poor people, an end to further privatization and liberalization of the economy and take control of the commanding heights of the economy in the line with section 16 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Labour further told the government to go after oil subsidy cabal and other economic saboteurs instead of helpless Nigerians, put a stop to all dollarization of the Nigerian economy, put a stop to all wasteful spending and profligacy in government and proper and adequate funding of education and health care at all levels.”

Besides, it called for adequate provision for social security for the aged and the vulnerable, payment of all outstanding wages and pensions at all tiers of the government, fast-tracking negotiation and implementation of the new national minimum wage.

It told the government that as a matter of urgency, , abandon the IMF/World Bank policies as they bring extreme hardship to Nigerians as well as imperil our security and sovereignty.

The rally which had an impressive turnout, was attended by members of the civil society organisations and the affiliates of the NLC.