Oscarline Onwuemenyi
10 February 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday staged a protest at the National Assembly complex, Abuja over the rising cost of living in Nigeria.
The NLC Chairman, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said that the groups were protesting the delay in the upward review of minimum wage amidst the increasing cost of items in the country.
“We are here to demand good governance and express our support in the fight against corruption. More importantly, we demand respect for rule of law, greater accountability and transparency in governance,” Wabba said.
He expressed worry that Nigerian workers had been the major victims of the fall-out of corruption and bad governance.
He said, “Today the dollar rate is one Naira to 500 dollars and the salaries of Nigerian workers have remained the same. Therefore, we are here to urge the National Assembly to play an important role to ensure that life is made better for Nigerians.
“We cannot succeed if the fight against corruption does not succeed. We appreciate the efforts by the National Assembly to ensure financial autonomy for the local governments and this must be sustained because money meant for the local governments does not get there.”
The NLC chairman further expressed concern that in spite of the bailout funds to states for workers’ salaries, “the living condition of workers have not been improved because many are not paid.”
He explained that pensioners in the country were owed up to 77 months and called on the National Assembly to synergise with other arms of government to pay them.
Contributing, the TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama said that the inflation rate in the country was growing astronomically.
Kaigama said that it was time for governments at all tiers to go back to the drawing board to revive the country’s economy.
“Whatever it takes, we must review the structure of our economy. If we must kill corruption, the laws have to come from the National Assembly.
“Nigerians are hungry, the cost of living is high, no houses, no light and factories have gone comatose,” Kaigama said.
Responding, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said it was time to go into action towards addressing the numerous challenges confronting Nigerians.
According to him, we need to sit down and work out how to make necessary adjustments.
“It can’t continue this way, the exchange rate is high, the cost of things in the market have gone high but only the workers’ salaries remain the same.
“By the next time we will meet, I will tell you what the National Assembly has done to improve the living condition of Nigerians,” Saraki said.
