No Imo government official came out to address the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and affiliate groups on Wednesday.
The organized labour in Imo state, protested against the government’s hike in fuel price among other ill-policies.
The groups staged their protest through the major streets of Owerri, Imo state.
After waiting for more than one hour in front of the Government House Owerri, no official serving in the administration of gov Uzodimma came out to address the protesters. Majority of the protesters left in anger as a result of this.
Some of the grievances of the protesters stated that the governments have continued to add to their burdens, pains, and crippling the economic livelihood of the common man in society by the hike in fuel prices.
They recalled the series of pains that the masses had encountered starting from “Covid 19 lockdown, unknown gunmen lockdown, cashless policy lockdown and now hike in fuel prices. We have been going through economic and political challenges. This is not what we expect. We have been in pains.
“They insisted that the Nigeria refineries should work and until the refineries work the government should revert to the old price from there they can start talking of subsidy removal.”
According to the Acting Chairman of NLC, Imo state, George Ofoegbu, called on the governments to reduce “VAT, reduce fuel prices, and reduce school fees, the federal government should keep fate with the agreement entered with the NLC, we are no longer saving in our land. The poor masses are no longer breathing. We cry for Nigerian workers. We are one of the least paid in the world. Our income can’t take us home again. The cost of living is high. We can’t fuel our vehicles. We are suffering.”
Adding his voice, the State Secretary of the Trade Union Congress, Benjamin Ezekwe, said: “We want to register displeasure with the happenings in Nigeria. The fuel subsidy was removed without putting plans in place to reduce the suffering of Nigerians. It is only in Nigeria that we don’t have an alternative to the sources of energy. We are suffering in this country.”
