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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The Delta State council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday decried what it said the anti-people policies of the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu.
This is as the organised labour in the state under the auspices of NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) joined their counterparts nationwide in peaceful protest against the removal of fuel subsidy.
The labour leaders mobilised workers who converged at the state secretariat of NLC in Asaba from where they marched through the streets, chanting solidarity songs until they were addressed at the Government House by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
Chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku who spoke during the protest, urged the president to allow “Nigerians breathe.”
Ofobruku said the people were not happy with the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the Federal Government, saying the policies have increased poverty in the land.
“Nigeria used to be the headquarter of poverty in the world and they have increased poverty in a way that we spend about 70 percent of our salaries on transport alone trying to go to work and the balance 30 percent is not enough to feed one member of our family.
“We are saying that Federal Government should stop increasing our burden and giving more money to themselves by approving N70 billion for legislators and N35 billion for a hundred judges, we say no, to increase in poverty in the land, people should hit the streets to protest against some Federal Government policies.
The labour leader said there was nothing inspiring about last Monday’s broadcast by the president.
“If he had said anything that will give us hope, we would not have taken to the streets. If they increased the price of PMS and at the Federation Account, they could have N1.9 trillion to share and they now said ‘let us keep N1 trillion, let us share N900 billon, what does it take to give palliatives? How long does it take?
“Amongst the demands, we said they should immediately implement in good faith the resolutions they agreed with us sometime in July.
“We also said all the anti people policies they should reverse them, because if you say people are collecting subsidy, why don’t you expose them? Who are the people collecting the subsidy, this money? Why don’t you expose them, must we suffer because people are collecting money meant for subsidy?
“We also said they should not increase the cost of school fees for unity schools and universities and they have also increased VAT and we say no.
“They should also fix our refineries, not invest $2 billion in Dangote refinery on our behalf whereas our refineries are not working. We are investing money in another person’s refinery and your own is not working.
“They should sit down and discuss with labour on this issue of palliatives, they should give wages awards instead of talking of minimum wage,” he said.
Addressing the protesters, Governor Oborevwori, represented by his Senior Policy Adviser, Solomon Funkekeme, said the state government knew the pains of the people “and every policy is geared towards ensuring that the people’s interest comes first before any other interest.
“I want to assure you on behalf of the governor that not only will we take your message to the president, the concerns that you have raised will be examined and labour will be part and parcel of the negotiation for a robust, people oriented and people friendly palliatives.”
He assured that Deltans would be be taken care of in the programmes that would be rolled out by the state government.
