Workers in the Plateau region turned out in large numbers to engage in peaceful protests against the nation’s ongoing economic hardship.
Workers from the local, state, and federal governments demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the harsh hardship by carrying banners with various messages through the streets of Jos.
“Hunger is killing us,” “make our refineries work,” “end insecurity, create jobs and economic prosperity,” and “education is our right, stop school fees increase” were a few of the inscriptions.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) national body announced the protest on February 16 in an effort to bring the government’s attention to the suffering of the general populace, particularly workers.
Speaking to the demonstrators, Plateau NLC chairman Eugene Manji said that it was becoming increasingly difficult for the general public to provide for their families, pay for their children’s education, and transport them.
According to Mr. Manji, the purpose of the demonstration was to bring the current government’s attention to the hardships of the general populace, not to expose, denigrate, or witch hunt it.
Mr. Manji claims that a great number of Nigerians are losing their lives as a result of economic difficulties because they are unable to take care of their health or feed themselves.
He pointed out that although the current government was not the beginning of the fight for greater economic wellbeing, it had gotten worse as a result of the elimination of subsidies and the increase in the currency rate.
The head of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Jos, Kiri Jaryum, predicted that the employees would persevere through the hardships and carry on with their lives.
Mr. Jaryum asserted that workers would not only survive, but thrive, adding that the state of the economy had forced Nigerian labourers into the conflict.
The suffering the employees endured, according to Anthony Joro, chairman of the University of Jos branch of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), was incomprehensible.
“Our minimum wage used to be 30,000 years ago, and a bag of rice only cost about 6,000.” A bag of rice now costs between N70,000 and N100,000.
“Even with local rice, we cannot afford it again. I was so surprised this morning when I was told that a cup of sugar now costs N400.
“My fellow workers, you must know that this clarion call is necessary for us to survive. Let us all support our leadership to continue to fight for our good,’’ Mr Joro added.
(NAN)
