The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has alleged that the Federal Government has perfected plans to launch an attack against the two-day nationwide protest scheduled for February 27 and 28.
The NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made the allegation in a statement issued on Sunday, February 25, 2024.
Ajaero alleged that one of the groups being primed to attack the peaceful protest is the Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF).
He said: “NCSF is one of the emergency groups put together, funded, promoted and remote-controlled by the government to cause violence against our members for electing to peacefully protest against the hunger in the land.
“We would want the State to know that the solution to our horrible economic situation and hunger is not by suppressing peaceful dissent or inflicting violence on peacefully protesting citizens.”
‘It could amount to contempt’: FG warns NLC against planned protest
Ajaero insisted that the NLC and civil society allies would stage the nationwide protest against economic hardship and insecurity in line with the decision of the National Executive Council.
The NLC President added: “As citizens, we have a fundamental right to peaceful protest and history bears us witness that our protests are always peaceful except in instances of State-engineered violence.
“In light of this, we advise the State to put on its thinking cap and find solutions to the pains it continues to cause the people instead of further dehumanising them.”
In its reaction, the Federal Government however denied the allegation, describing it as “speculative”.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said by raising the allegation, “NLC is feeling guilty in hatching its hidden agenda influenced by partisan considerations”.
Onanuga said the planned protest is illegal as it is against a subsisting order of the court.
He said the NLC had hidden agenda, noting that most of the issues raised by the union for embarking on the protest had been addressed by the government.
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