February 26, 2024
- By reporter with additional sources
Amid the current economic hardship, Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide has again promised to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Chief Iwuanyanwu and Persident Tinubu Facebook
This is even as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday restated its earlier stand that it will not back down on its planned nationwide protest billed to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 27 and 28
The president-general of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has explained why its people won’t stage a protest in the country.
The group vowed to work for Tinubu despite recent happenings, noting that the president has been charitable to Nigerians from the southeast region.
Dr Iwuanyanwu disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists by the national publicity secretary of the group, Alex Ogbonna, TVC reported.
Iwuanyanwu reminded Ndigbo that they do not have personal issues against the president and urged its citizens not to be used to stage protests against the federal government, The Punch reported.
He lamented several challenges Igbo people face in the country, such as the marginalisation of people of the southeast in appointments and state creation in the past government.
He expressed hope that Tinubu’s administration would help the region re-write the wrongs in due time. Iwuanyanwu, however, promised to convene a meeting of top Igbo economists and experts in diverse fields to evolve strategies on how to overcome the current economic hardships.
“As your leader, I am directing that no Igbo group or community in Nigeria or in Diaspora should join in this action. I am still studying the situation. I have asked Nigerians who approached me the following questions, what did they do when the past government disfranchised Igbo land?
Iwuanyanwu also claimed that “the problem Igbo have is that we are very faithful to the constitution of Nigeria” while bragging that the southeastern people naturally prosper wherever they are in any part of the country.
…. NLC remains adamant on planned nationwide protest
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday maintained its earlier stance that it would not back down on its planned nationwide protest billed to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 27 and 28 despite series of warnings from the various government quarters to the congress that it should shelve the action in the interest of peace.
The Daily Trust reports that Department of State Services (DSS) had urged NLC to negotiate with government officials rather than embark on an action that might compound the security of the country.
Also, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, said the organised labour would be contemptuous if it embarked on the protest, citing two ex parte orders previously granted by the National Industrial Court.
But NLC and some civil society organisations maintained that no level of blackmail, threats or warning from the government would make them back down on their decision, assuring that the protest would be peaceful.
It said in an interview, the Head of Information at NLC headquarters, Benson Upah, confirmed that members of the congress were mobilising across the states, insisting that they have been working through the weekends to fine-tune how peaceful the protest would be.
“What I can tell you is that mobilisation is going on with high spirits. We commenced mobilisation on February 22 when the ultimatum expired,” Upah told our correspondent in a telephone interview.
The organised labour had declared that its members would embark on a two-day nationwide protest against the current hardship faced by Nigerians, which it said was caused by the government’s policies of subsidy removal and naira floating.
Ajaero had announced at a press briefing at Labour House, Abuja shortly after the National Executive Council meeting of the congress, that the protest was necessary to press home their demands following the government’s refusal to implement 16-point agreements it reached in October last year.
Speaking on Sunday, NLC President Ajaero alleged that the movement had uncovered a series of plots that have already been put in place by the federal government to thwart its nationwide protest, insisting that members of the movement remained undaunted.
“We want the state to know that the solution to our horrible economic situation and hunger is not by suppressing peaceful dissent or inflicting violence on peacefully protesting citizens as the government did in Minna and other cities where its agents tear-gassed and beat up women before locking them up for raising their voice against hunger.
“However, if it is irrevocably set on the path of violence against us and other peace-loving Nigerians, it will be making a costly mistake because if we are attacked there will be a total shutdown via withdrawal of services by workers,” he said.
