Protests Against Tinubu Policies Begin in Lagos, FCT, Others

By Adedapo Adesanya

The organised labour has kicked off its protests across the nation against policies instituted by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Business Post on Wednesday gathered that the picketing has commenced in Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Cross River, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo, among others.

Some officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) from the FCT were spotted at the Unity Fountain with hundreds of their members.

Affiliated unions of the NLC and the TUC, including the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the National Union of Electricity Employees of Nigeria (NUEE), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) also joined the nationwide protest.

When he assumed office on May 29, President Tinubu removed subsidies on petrol and liberalised the foreign exchange market, leading to a surge in food and PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) or petrol prices.

In Abuja, members of organised labour with different paraphernalia of the unions, on Wednesday morning, gathered at the Unity Fountain for the protest while security operatives, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), were also on the ground.

In Lagos, members converged in Ikeja under-bridge carrying placards with different slogans on subsidies, reduction of the cost of governance, and call for the saving of the Nigerian industries.

As well as in Kano, NLC members are protesting with chants of “Let poor Nigerians breathe”, modelled after a comment by President Tinubu.

Last week, the NLC issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government and demanded “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in petrol prices, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers”.

President Tinubu, in his address on Monday night, didn’t address the strike but said his administration was engaging with organised labour to review the national minimum wage from the current level of N30,000.00, which was last reviewed in 2019.

He also rolled a N75 billion palliative for the manufacturing sector to benefit 75 businesses and a N125 billion fund to energise other businesses. He also announced the provision to invest N100 billion between now and March 2024 to acquire 3000 units of 20-seater CNG-fuelled buses.