By Bimbola Oyesola
The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has expressed solidarity with the Nigerian workers and people who took to the streets nationwide under the banner of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday to draw attention to the worsening socio-economic situations in the country.
This is even as the continental body called on the Federal Government to address all the socioeconomic concerns of the people that led to the agitation.
The ITUC-Africa in a statement issued yesterday in Lome, Togo and signed by the President, Martha Tinny MOLEMA and the General Secretary Akhator Joel ODIGIE noted that “the challenges faced by Nigerian workers and citizens in the face of rising living costs (especially food, fuel and basic needs), insecurity, and a weakening national currency (the Naira) underscore the necessity of highlighting the plight of Nigerians and the call for the Government to address these socioeconomic concerns.”
The organisation commended Nigeria’s organised labour’s utilisation of peaceful and open means to communicate to the government the biting hardship, misery and sufferings that the Nigerian workers and people face.
The letter read, “ITUC-Africa is aware that the worsening socio-economic situation remained dire in the last decade but has become more catastrophic in the past months.
“At the moment, the monthly take-home-pay of an average Nigerian worker compared to the current national minimum wage in the face of volatile and spiking goods and services market prices, the cost of living cannot sustain a week’s living for a family of three people.”
It reasoned that lots of Nigerians are hungry and feeling hopeless, adding that sadly, this situation is an avoidable and diffusible recipe for chaos and lawlessness.
It charged the government to see the NLC-called national protests as helping to constructively manage people’s frustrations from boiling over and should not be criminalised.
It reiterated that under a democracy, freedom of association, expression, assembly, and protests are central to the consolidation of democracy, which hinges on advancing people’s participation, mobilisation for change, and accountability.
The ITUC-Africa said it is imperative that the Nigerian Government upholds these rights and refrain from, “overt or covert actions to undermine these rights.”
Additionally, it stated that government must provide adequate security to protect protesters from any elements seeking to disrupt the legal and peaceful protests across the country.
“Threats and warnings should not impede the exercise of legitimate labour rights; instead, we encourage open dialogue to address the root causes of the current challenges that the nation faces,” It maintained.
The Continental body said prepping and utilising amorphous group-for-hire entities such as the Nigeria Civil Society Forum to undermine and disrupt legitimate protests not only fuels violence, but also counterproductive and archaic.
It emphasised that Nigerian Government must embrace genuine and sustained dialogue with organised labour and other critical stakeholders in the Nigerian socio-economic landscape.
“We know the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is ready to propose pragmatic alternatives to resolve the nagging socio-economic issues. They should be listened to,” ITUC-Africa said.