The organised labour in Ondo State on Thursday demanded immediate action from the President Bola Tinubu-led government to alleviate the current economic burden on Nigerians.
The unions, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), jointly expressed their concerns over the situation during a peaceful demonstration held in Akure.
They called for a review of the cost of governance amid the hardships in the country.
During the protest, the state NLC chairman, Victor Amoko, voiced his appreciation for the government’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy. He, however, also emphasised the severe hardships faced by the people as a consequence of the policy.
Amoko, presenting the position of the national body of the union, lamented that the cost of governance in the country needed to be reduced promptly in order to mitigate the adverse effects of the fuel subsidy removal.
The workers asserted that cutting back on wasteful spending and repurposing money would help Nigerians in general, who are struggling financially.
TUC’s Clement Fatuase said: “The federal government should allow the poor to breathe because this is a warning signal that if they are determined to make life difficult for us, we are going to resist it even with the last drop of blood in our bodies.”
Assuring the workers that their demands will be taken to the President, the Special Adviser on Union Matters to the Governor, Dare Aragbaiye, said: “We have received your letter and it will be conveyed to Mr President. We don’t have any objection to your demands because we have seen your placards.”
