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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it will declare an immediate and indefinite nationwide strike if any protester is attacked during its planned National Day of Protest and Mourning scheduled for Wednesday, December 17.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the NLC said it had received credible and disturbing intelligence indicating plans by “unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings” to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful protest.
The labour centre described any attempt to harm protesters as “an act of terrorism”, insisting that workers’ demonstrations were a legitimate response to worsening insecurity across the country.
According to the NLC, the protest is aimed at drawing attention to the rising cases of killings, kidnappings and abductions, which it said have claimed the lives of many workers, including teachers, farmers, miners and artisans.
The labour body called on the Nigeria Police to ensure the protection of protesters, stressing that security agencies had been formally informed about the protest and its peaceful nature.
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The statement read in part: “Let this be understood by those who occupy the corridors of power and the purveyors of violence that the Congress is now officially aware of their plot to use armed thugs to attack peaceful protesters, cause mayhem, and create a pretext for violent repression. We name this plot for what it is, a further enabled terrorism against Nigerian citizens.
“We issue a stern and final warning to the purveyors of this act: DESIST IMMEDIATELY. Call off your hoodlums as any attack on peacefully protesting workers will be considered a direct declaration of war on the entire Nigerian working class and its allies. The Police, having been informed of our protest and its dynamics, must act to protect the democratic rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves. The rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed.
“To all the working people of Nigeria, the unemployed, the students, the traders, and all victims of insecurity, we alert you to this insidious plot. Do not be cowed. Do not be provoked. Our protest must remain peaceful, disciplined, and massive. Solidarity is our shield.
“Here is our iron-clad resolution as passed by the National Executive Council: Should a single worker, comrade, or citizen be harmed by these thugs or through escalated repression tomorrow, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not hesitate to declare an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike. All wheels of production, all services, and every sector of the national economy will be shut down completely and indefinitely.
“When the ruling class moves to crush a peaceful protest against their failure, they unwittingly reveal their truly undemocratic tendencies. The message must be clear and without equivocation: any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown.”
