May Day: Organised labour asks govt to solve crisis in energy sector

From Jude Owuamanam, Jos

Members of the organised labour in Plateau State have urged the Federal Government to solve the crisis in the energy sector so as to mitigate the effects on the people.

Speaking at a rally to mark the 2026 Workers Day at the Polo Field on Friday, representatives of the organised labour led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), as civil society groups, said that if Nigerians should have a good life and fair sense of living, government must intervene in the energy crisis, especially the recent one driven by the US and Iranian conflict.

NLC Chairman, Eugene Manji, his counterpart in TUC, Kenneth Shammah and Director of the CLO, Steve Aluko, asked the government to secure the environment for people so that as they go to their works, they have a sense of security.

In a joint statement by NLC and TUC, the labour leaders stressed that a secure environment is paramount to daily living.

The statement tasked the government to tackle and deal with issues of insecurity and economic policies that promote poverty.

They also commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang, noting that he has been able to provide friendly policies and programmes that have helped the working population in the state.

Aluko, who spoke on behalf of the civil society groups in the state, said that the issue of energy, fuel and light, and other things that have to do with energy are interwoven and interrelated with both poverty and insecurity, stressing that if one is taken care of, it can impact on the other.

He said: “If they will have job security and if small scale industries will not collapse, the energy crisis must be resolved.” Part of the resolution is not only to have energy, but it must also be cost effective, and people must have access to it.