The Niger State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has unequivocally stated that its members will not participate in the planned nationwide economic hardship protest proposed by unknown groups in the country.
Comrade Idrees Abdulkareem Lafene, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), made this declaration during an interview with Newsline Labour correspondent at his office in the Labour House, Minna. According to Comrade Lafene, there is no justification for union members to engage in protests, as such actions will not provide solutions to the current economic challenges. He emphasized that the planned protest was not initiated by the NLC leadership.
Comrade Lafene clarified that Organized Labour does not participate in protests. Instead, it calls on people to join labour-related activities that directly impact the well-being of Nigerian workers, such as national minimum wage negotiations. Given this stance, there is no basis for Organized Labour in the state to join the proposed protest scheduled for the first week of August 2024. Furthermore, the NLC is unaware of the groups behind the protest, making participation unnecessary.
Regarding the pressing issues affecting Nigerians and contributing to economic hardship, Comrade Lafene urged President Bola Tinubu to take urgent action. Specifically, he called for the repair of the nation's refineries and a reduction in electricity costs. The current high monthly electricity bills are burdensome for Nigerians, and addressing this issue is crucial.
Comrade Lafene also addressed the delay in refunding the 7.5 percent contribution pension scheme to some civil servants in the state. He attributed the delay to abbreviation errors in various bank accounts or doubts raised by individuals who failed to provide necessary information to the state pension board for timely submission to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).