Labour Responds To DSS With No Turning Back On The Nationwide Protest
Organised labour has insisted on embarking on its two-day national protest despite warning by the DSS.
The Department of State Services (DSS) received criticism on Wednesday from the organized labor leadership for suggesting that the movement postpone its planned protest scheduled for February 27 and 28.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its counterpart from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had previously received advice from the secret police to reverse their decision, citing the need for the nation to benefit.
However, in response to the DSS's warning, Joe Ajaero, the president of the NLC, stated that the secret police shouldn't arrest people who wish to use the protest as a platform to incite widespread violence and blackmail organized labour, as claimed.
Ajaero stated that if the labour movement and its leaders remain silent and permit the current hardship to worsen because of the careless actions of the Nigerian government and its representatives, history will not pardon them.
The labour leader went on to say that the Congress would not give up as long as Nigerians continued to live in poverty, characterizing the upcoming action as a “peaceful protest against unpardonable cost of living.”
The Service asserts that even though there has been a history of peaceful protests, the planned action should be called off “in the interest of peace and public order, presupposing that the action is intended to be violent and disruptive.”
“More worrying is the new role the Service has assigned to itself, the chief spokes person of the government.”
According to the Service, “It is common knowledge that all levels of Government are striving to ameliorate the prevailing economic condition and as such, should be given a benefit of the doubt, So far, appropriate authorities are working assiduously with a spectrum of stakeholders to fashion out modalities to address the current difficulties.”
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