Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday committed to a monthly disbursement of N500 million to the state’s most disadvantaged citizens. This initiative is a response to mitigate the hardships resulting from the fuel subsidy removal.
The pledge was made as Governor Obaseki welcomed the state’s Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) representatives, led by Chairman Odion Olaye. The meeting took place amid a peaceful protest in Benin City against the subsidy removal’s adverse effects.
Governor Obaseki stated, “We are going to do our own part. I am committed to a monthly allocation of N500 million for the state’s poorest citizens. We are not waiting for anybody.”
Obaseki also encouraged the labour unions to reject any palliative measures proposed by President Bola Tinubu’s government. He criticized such measures as a perpetuation of the federal government’s fraud against Nigerians.
Elsewhere, labour unions in Rivers State adhered to the nationwide protest, marching through Port Harcourt and demanding the rehabilitation of the national refineries.
Approximately 500 workers assembled at the NLC Secretariat in Port Harcourt early in the morning. They proceeded to the Government House, chanting ‘Let the poor breathe’, expressing their disapproval of the worsening living conditions in the country, and calling for a reversal of anti-people policies and refurbishment of local refineries.
The protest was well-received by the public, who saw it as a positive development. However, some pointed out a lack of sufficient awareness and mobilization efforts from the labour unions, which could have increased participation.
In Cross River State, labour union members braved heavy rain to participate in the nationwide protest. They marched through the streets of Calabar holding banners with various slogans, expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s policies.
In Delta State, the NLC joined the protest against what they termed as the “anti-people and anti-workers policies” of the Tinubu administration. Bayelsa State Council of NLC also echoed similar sentiments during their protest in the state capital, Yenagoa.
SOURCE: The Guardian
IMAGE: Premium Times
