Your protest can shut economy, House tells NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protest, according to the House of Representatives, has the potential to cripple the economy of the country and is not in the interests of the general populace.

Akin Rotimi, the spokesman for the House, said in a statement that the NLC should join the House to work with the government on a constant basis to promote quick implementation of policies meant to help Nigerians.

He expressed worry that, despite requests to postpone the industrial action from the federal government and interest groups, the Congress insisted on holding the planned peaceful protest.

He declared: “The House of Representatives, as representatives of the people, is well aware of and sympathizes with Nigerians on account of the suffering being suffered as a result of the elimination of fuel subsidy.

“We also recognize the NLC’s right to hold peaceful demonstrations to demand relief for Nigerian workers as we navigate these difficult times.

Like the majority of Nigerians, we understand that creating a progressive and prosperous country necessitates difficult choices that must be made in the best interests of all citizens. For this reason, we agree with the federal government’s decision to take the bull by the horns in the pursuit of long-term economic growth and stability.

However, we would continue to urge the executive branch of the government to swiftly put the palliative measures President Tinubu announced in his broadcast on Monday into action. We would also urge the federal government to take into consideration additional measures that would provide an immediate reprieve for the populace while we wait to see how the already announced measures will play out over the coming months.

“For the benefit of poor and vulnerable Nigerians, the time between the elimination of gasoline subsidies and the concrete results of palliative measures must be shortened.

In light of this, we urge the NLC’s leadership and that of other Nigerian labor unions to focus their efforts on supporting the House of Representatives’ ongoing interactions with the federal government in order to hasten the implementation of the programs and demand additional immediate steps to help Nigerians.

We believe that protesting at this time would be counterproductive because it will effectively shut down our economy and further disrupt the lives of Nigerians.

“The House of Representatives once again appeals to the NLC and allied labor unions to kindly cancel the planned peaceful protest and embrace ongoing dialogue as a way to further the interests of hardworking Nigerian workers without making the situation worse,”