Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Tuesday, denounced the Nigerian Labour Congress for organizing a nationwide protest, describing it as unnecessary.
The NLC had announced a two-day protest to call on federal and state governments to address hardship and hunger nationwide, and on Tuesday in Abuja, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, presented their list of demands to the National Assembly.
The NLC demanded the full implementation of welfare measures, initiatives to create jobs, immediate subsidies to farmers to boost agricultural production, and the revival of the four refineries, among other requests.
In response to the protest, the presidential spokesperson mentioned that the Federal Government has already started working to reduce the hardship.
Ngelale cautioned the labour unions against exploiting situations in the country to pursue a political agenda. He stated that the government has been making every effort to address those concerns. "But we also want to distinguish between the legitimate concerns expressed by certain labor unions and individuals trying to capitalize on situations in the country for political reasons".
He said, “We have seen the Trade Union Congress (TUC) pull out of the purported nationwide protest. We have seen the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) pull out of the protest. There is no unanimity behind what NLC is trying to do. I believe all of the legitimate concerns being raised by the unions are being tackled by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.”
