Youth coalition backs NLC, mobilizes two million protesters
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, is organizing a statewide protest, and the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, claims to have organized at least 2 million people in the region to participate.
According to news sources, the NLC and the Trades Union Congress, TUC, have scheduled a strike and widespread mass protests for today, Wednesday, in response to the hardships brought on by the elimination of the fuel subsidy.
The decision was made as a result of the Federal Government’s failure to establish a truce with organized labor after their two-day conference on Tuesday ended in an impasse.
The NLC and TUC are calling for palliatives and other actions to lessen the impact of the elimination of fuel subsidies on Nigerians.
According to a statement released by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, organized labor had no justification for postponing the planned national protest on Tuesday.
After another round of negotiations broke down at the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives meeting held at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, Ajaero spoke shortly after.
In support of the NLC’s action, COSEYL said in a statement released on Wednesday by its President General, Goodluck Ibem, that its members were fully behind it and emphasized that the protest was necessary due to the intolerable suffering being experienced by Nigerians.
