Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Edo State chapter, yesterday, keyed into the ongoing protest against the economic hardship in Nigeria, saying that urgent attention must be put in place to salvage the issue of hunger in the country.
The protesting NLC and its affiliates marched through the ever busy Kings Square, Sapele road and to the Edo State Government House to present their demands to the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
The brandished placards of various inscriptions such as, “End naira devaluation and support local production, free education not student loan, stop robbing the poor, tax the rich, end hunger/ poverty/ reject IMT and World Bank policies.
Others are, “government, please put a stop to all inhuman actions and policies, the masses need to breath,” among others.
Speaking at the protest, the Edo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Odion Olaye, said the protest was to draw the federal government attention to the plights of Nigerians especially the economic hardship the people are passing through in the country.
He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to urgently put measures in place to address the economic hardship in the country
He, however, urged members of the union to embark on the protest peacefully, noting that hoodlums should not be allowed to hijack the process.
Receiving the protesters, on behalf of the state Governor Godwin Obaseki, the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare commended the NLC for their peaceful protest.
Nehikhare who said the state government was in support of the protest, stressing that the Governor Obaseki-led government had recently held a meeting with market women and traders on the need to find a way to reduce the high cost of food stuffs in the state.