From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Hundreds of youths on Friday grounded some roads in Abuja to protest planned nationwide strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) against the excruciating cost of living in the country.
The youths under the platforms of Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF), marched on the roads, in large numbers, in solidarity with President Bola Tinubu and his administration.
They displayed anti-NLC placards with various inscriptions, urged Nigerians to ignore the call by the Labour leaders for a nationwide protest against hunger.
Speaking with newsmen at the Unity Fountain before the commencement of the protest, a co-convener of the forum, Comrade Sunday Attah, warned that Nigerian youths wouldn’t allow the NLC and their collaborators to plunge Nigeria into anarchy.
Also speaking, the Convener of the CSO forum, Comrade Terrence Kuanum, gave the NLC 24 hours to rescind the decision of the protest and go back to the negotiating table with the government.
According to Kaunum, Nigerians are truly hungry but it is not by sabotaging the system or antagonising the system that the issue could be resolved.
He said: “the NLC is within the reach of government, and already at the table with the government. All of us want you to bring solution from that negotiation table so that Nigerians will cushion the effects of what they are going through and we want this process to be properly done so that nobody will go anywhere sabotaging the system. We are against sabotage in the system.
“No strike can solve this problem. You go on strike to get the attention of policy makers. You are already with the policy makers so what is the essence of the strike if not that someone is sponsoring a sabotage,” he said.