From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Imo State chapter, on Wednesday, staged a protest in Owerri, the state capital, over the present soaring cost of living occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy by president Bola Tinubu’s on assumption of office.
The workers who coverage at Asumpta Cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, before proceeding on their protest match through the control, Warehouse, bank road roads to the entrance of the state government House.
The protesting Workers who are mostly of the federal government parastatals and agencies in the state as displayed placards, banners and NLC insignia to convey their messages, the workers berated the federal government for the removal of subsidy on fuel without palliatives to cushion the effects.
They also accused President Tinubu of being insensitive to the plights of the Nigerian workers and the masses.
The chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Imo State University chapter, Odinaka Ejiogu, flayed the federal Government for its inability to make life comfortable for the citizenry.
The university don said that it was confusing that all the refineries in the country were not working thereby making life unbearable for the people.
Ejiogu asked the FG to immediately bring out palliative for workers that would drastically address the challenges.
Also, chairperson of NLC in Imo State, Ada Echebime, asked the FG to immediately reverse all its policies which were affecting the Nigerian workers.
She said that workers were no longer affording the prices of fuel and commodities, worsening the living conditions of the workers.
The chairperson of of Trade Union Congress in the state, Georgina Onyemachi, said that the workers had parked their vehicles at homes because of the hike in the price of fuel in the country.
Ebere Obioma, who is the president of Senior Academic Staff Union Association, Alvan Ikoku federal College of Education chapter, Owerri, said that the FG was treating the workers without respect.
He slammed the FG for its inability to pick backlog of salary arrears, bonuses and wages owned the workers.
Uche Ejiogu, James Chukwuyere, Chibuzor Uche, Rapheal Chukwu, Earnest Nnanabu and Nicholas Agu, who spoke separately at the rally asked the government to reverse all its policies which are heating the people and causing unbearable pains on the people.
The workers said that they were waiting for the governor, Hope Uzodinma, or his representative to address them before dispersing from the venue.
However, having waited for several hours the distraught Workers dispersed as there was no state government available to address them as governor Hope Uzodinma is said to be away in Abuja.