No street protest was held on Tuesday in Enugu State by the members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other affiliated unions over the high cost of living, inflation, insecurity, and hardship in the country.
The workers had planned to march on the streets of Enugu State in line with the directives from the national leadership of the unions before delivering their message to Governor Peter Mbah at the government house.
However, the members of the unions who had gathered as early as 7am for the protest march could not move beyond their secretariat following advise from state police command against street march.
The Police had warned that they would not guarantee the security of the workers beyond their secretariat if they did otherwise.
Our correspondent who monitored the development, observed that because of the new development, members of the labour unions decided to hold their rally at the Labour House, near New Market.
Sources also stated that the decision to restrict the workers might not be unconnected with their earlier advise of apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohanaeze Ndigbo barring protest in Igboland over rising hardship.
Addressing Members who converged on NLC Secretariat to take off to the streets of Enugu, the NLC Enugu State Chairman, Fabian Nwigbo regretted that there was so much hunger and insecurity in the land.
Nwigbo emphasized that a lot of Nigerians were dying because they could not have access to basic medication or three square meals per day.
He said that members came out in their numbers to show the world that they joined members on the national protest against hunger in the land but the police in Enugu said it could not afford to secure Labour movement beyond NLC Secretariat.
“We want to show that it is difficult to access three square meals; that the N30,000 minimum wage approved in 2019 can no longer pay medical bills, feed our families, among other issues. That if things continue this way, the country will crumble,” he stated
On his part,the Secretary of NLC, Kelechi Anyalebechi said that the protest would continue on Wednesday as NLC Enugu will do what other states in the federation were doing.
He called for an end to poverty and economic challenge in the country.
