The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ondo State Chapter, on Tuesday joined the nationwide protest on economic hardship and insecurity in the country.
The workers held different placards which read “Health is Wealth, Remove Tax on Drugs”; “Fix Local Refineries End Subsidy”; “Stop Subsidizing the Rich, Let The Poor Breath”; “End Insecurity,. Create Jobs”; “Stop The Profligacy in Govt, Subsidies the Poor” among others.
Comrade Victor Amoko, NLC State Chairman, who led the workers, said the peaceful protest was to register the people’s grievances against poor policies of government that had brought untold hardship on Nigerians.
Amoko, who said the union was not having any problem with Ondo State Government, expressed hope that the result of all the protest across the nation would be delivered to President Bola Tinubu
“The result of today’s protest was to press further and to sensitise the government that we have problems, not only the workers, but the entire citizenry of the country.
“Our demand is not about salary increment, but for the economic hardship in the country.
“We don’t have problem with the state government, but the problem on ground is national problem or national phenomenon that need quick actions,” he said.
Responding, Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa assured the union that the state government was aware of the difficult situation of the people in the country.
Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by the State Head of Service, Pastor Kayode Ogundele, said that the state government had taken proactive steps to assuage the level of poverty for workers.
He explained that all outstanding salaries had been cleared as well as payment of N35,000 wage award, while retirees were also taken care of.
The governor explained that the government had distributed palliatives as well as providing free transport shuttles “to keep workers afloat in the face of harsh economic realities”.
Aiyedatiwa assured that the union’s demands would be relayed to the Federal Government, saying that “efforts were in top gear to deploy more buses to pick workers as the government was concerned about their welfare”. (NAN)
By Muftau Ogunyemi
