Hunger Protest: Nigeria Labour Congress Debunks Reports of Withdrawal
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has denied reports of withdrawing from a planned nationwide hunger protest slated for August 1. The union is not the organizer of the protest, which has been met with widespread anger and frustration from the Nigerian people.
The NLC, led by President Comrade Joe Ajaero, has instead advised the federal government and sub-national governments to listen to the cries of the hungry Nigerian people and address the economic crisis. The union has also called on President Bola Tinubu to invite the leaders of the protest movement to dialogue on their demands.
The statement, titled “The Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise,” partly read: “A news report of the withdrawal of the Nigeria Labour Congress from the widely discussed national protest has been brought to our attention. The Nigeria Labour Congress debunks such story as patently false.”
The planned protest comes at a time when a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown a significant increase in prices of food items, including beans, tomatoes, Irish potatoes, Garri, and yam. The report revealed that the average price of 1kg of brown beans increased by 252.13 per cent from ₦651.12 recorded in June 2023, to ₦2,292.76 in June 2024.
The NBS also reported that food inflation has risen above 40 per cent, making it difficult for many Nigerians to access basic food items. The report highlights the dire living conditions faced by Nigerians, who are subjected to harsh economic policies by the government.
In an effort to address the issue, the federal government has approved a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities, aimed at ensuring food security and addressing the incessant increase in food prices. The government has also approved the importation of certain food items, including maize, cowpeas, wheat, and husked brown rice, across the land and sea borders.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians to shelve the planned protest, pleading for more time to address the economic challenges in the country. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, met with ministers on Wednesday to discuss the planned protest, which was attended by over 40 ministers in the President’s cabinet.
Information Minister Idris, who briefed the media after the meeting, pleaded with Nigerians to give the government more time to address the economic challenges and assured youths that the government has been engaging all concerned to resolve the issues in the interest of the country.
