Let Masses Breath, NLC to Tinubu

By Adenitan Akinola 

The Osun State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Coalition of Civil Societies in Osun State protested the removal of fuel subsidy and the economy hardship Nigerians have been subjected to.

The protest which began at the Freedom Park Osogbo moved to the Olaiya flyover where members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU National Union of Electricity Employees and Civil Society Organisations and the Nigerian Union of Journalists addresses the people.

The protesting workers further moved down to Aregbe area, Ogo-Oluwa and Abere axis of the town, chatting solidarity songs.

There was heavy presence of security personnel in some strategic locations within the metropolis including Old garage, Ayetoro, Ogo-Oluwa, the State secretariat at Abere.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions “Tinubu stop suffocating us”, “Let the poor breath”, “Join the NLC to end suffering” among others.

It was the position of the protesters that government had the responsibility to fix the refineries, build new once so as to make petrol and other crude oil resources available at affordable rates for the masses of Nigeria.

In a leaflet by the Joint Action Front, JAF signed it’s chairman and former ASUU National President, Dr Dipo Fashina, Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu which circulated at the rally, the organization listed five points of demands including “total reversal of the capitalist policies of privatization and deregulation, which has been responsible for non-functioning of local refineries, looting by government officials and fuel marketers through fuel importation and the subsidies’ fraud.”

JAF also insists “that Government, in obedience to section 16 of the 1999 constitution on Economic Objectives, should respect then provisions, which states that the economic system is not operated in such manner as to permit the concentration of wealth, or means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of a group.”

It’s also calls for “Unconditional implementation of a new National Minimum Living Wage across board and payment of all outstanding allowances and arrears to all categories of public and private employments”

Also, the Chairman of the Osun State Coalition of Civil Societies, Comrade Waheed Lawal, called on Nigerians to resist the increase in fuel prices, electricity tariff and increase in tuition fees.

He said, “we thought we voted for people that will make life meaningful for us, but alas, they made things difficult. As it is now, all of us must come out and let them know that we are not happy with the present situation in the country. This suffering must stop, we must not keep quiet.”

Dr. Olaosebikan Wehinde, the ASUU chairman Union, Uniosun branch, called for the abolition of all the anti-masses policies of the Federal Government

He also said the Federal Government should pay ASUU members their salaries.

“We are saying enough to incessant petroleum price hikes. We are saying enough to insecurity. We are saying enough to corruption, we are saying enough to commercialization of education. Nigeria masses are saying enough to abuse of power, we are saying enough to poor workers wages.

“Politics in Nigeria should be demonitised, we are saying enough is enough to all policies that are bringing suffering to the masses, policies that are capable of dividing Nigeria into different factions. We are here today to communicate to Nigeria government that the masses are suffering.”

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