By Lawal A. Dogara, Kaduna
In spite of presence of stern looking military, police and other security operatives, Kaduna, the defunct capital of old northern region, was on Thursday practically grounded totally by what has been described by many as mother of all protests in history of the state.
The peaceful, the week- long planned protest was organized and headed by the national officers of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, against sacking of civil servants,especially teachers,
NLC, NUT and other sister union bodies had, early morning of Thursday, assembled its members in Kaduna secretariat of NLC, located at independence way, under the eagles eye of heavily armed military and police operatives mobilized by ostensibly to stop the union from holding the rally.
There were series of threats and hot exchange of words between security personnel and the union members who appeared held hostage. Labour however defied all the security intimidations to carry out the protest. To enforce the protest to the letter, the aggrieved protesting workers took off with stone face from their secretariat in to Kaduna government house with unprecedented crowd, chanting all sorts of songs and insults as they carried placards bearing different inscriptions.
It was so intimating, that, rather than putting up attacks against the crowd as planned, the military, police and other security operatives had to accompany the protesters to their government house destination peacefully. Businesses activities, motorists and pedestrian movement by Kaduna residents were seriously obstructed.
Over twenty thousands women and men, old and young, Muslims and Christians were received by Governor El-Rufai’s aide on information and strategy, Mr. Saidu Adamu, at government house.
Addressing the furious looking crowd, Adamu said government would take a look into the demands of the President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, on its decision on sack workers.
Adamu also reminded protesting unionists to note that the workers need government as much as government needs workers to synergize and move the state forward.
Earlier, the NLC President reminded Adamu that they only allowed him to address the protesters, based on personal respect they had for him as a person, adding that going by protocol, he was not the rights person to do so.
Labour leaders including Comrade Issa Aremu, Kaduna NLC Chairman and others from states and national officers participated in the rally.
