On Tuesday, the Abia state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) united with its national counterpart to stage a peaceful demonstration. The aim was to draw the federal government’s attention to the severe economic difficulties currently faced by Nigerians.
The protesters, comprised of workers, initiated their march from the Labour House in Umuahia, situated opposite the MTN office on Aba road. They paraded through the streets of the Umuahia metropolis before making their way to the Governor’s Office. Here, they were addressed by the governor’s Chief of Staff.
Armed with various placards and singing songs of protest, they expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s economic policies, which they claimed have inflicted severe hardship on families.
At the union secretariat in Umuahia, the NLC chairman in Abia state, Comrade Okoro Ogbonnaya, addressed the workers. He announced that the organized labor would take their protest to the State House of Assembly the following day.
He stated, “We are going to meet the lawmakers tomorrow and make it clear that we are enacting a law that will stand. If our demands are not met, we will strike.”
He reminded them of the seven-day ultimatum given by their national body, which applies to all states in the federation. If no action is taken by the 2nd of March, further directives will be issued.
Comrade Ogbonnaya urged other labor unions in the state to rally their members for the next day’s protest, warning that any union that defaults will face sanctions.
