JUSTIN: NLC Debunks Fake News, Says ‘No Going Back On Planned Strike’

Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has advised Nigerians and workers to disregard online rumours that tomorrow’s large-scale demonstration has been cancelled.

According to Ajaero, “We have no justifications to cancel the scheduled demonstration.

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“You’ll be informed if we cancel or suspend it. The mobilisation is very high, I can assure you of that.”

His remarks follow the NLC’s rescheduled meeting with the Steering Committee on Palliatives conducted on Tuesday (today) at the presidential villa in Abuja.

Recall that on Monday, the organised labour persisted on holding its planned demonstration against the elimination of the petroleum subsidy.

The NLC had openly expressed concerns about President Bola Tinubu’s capacity to control inflation and petrol costs as a result of the unification of the exchange rate.

Ajaero told reporters that the original intention for workers to have a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday has not changed.

He allayed concerns that the orderly protest may be seized upon by thugs by stating that such a thing had never happened in the history of worker protest.

But according to him, security companies are in charge of providing protection for the protest in order to safeguard the workers.

According to him, the Steering Committee meeting was postponed until noon on Tuesday so that the union leaders could see the president’s national address on Monday.

Ajaero responded to Tinubu’s proposal to interfere on exchange rates in response to inflation and high petrol prices by asking, “How are you going to regulate it when you have a single market and nothing that gives you a comparative advantage?

“How are you going to manage someone who changed a dollar for roughly 900 (naira)? Are you going to advise him to sell for less?

“How would you explain to even NEPA that the cost of production has increased and that tariffs shouldn’t go up? Even maize, which up until February was sold in the communities for 18,000 N, is now roughly 56,000 N. How do you intend to manage it?