Subsidy Removal: Labour Unions, CSOs Protest In Osun

Sodiq Yusuf

– Wants Govt. To Address Policies Inflicting Pains On Nigerians

Protesters have thronged the city of Osogbo, capital of Osun State, to call on the government to urgently address issues of economic hardship occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.

The protest led by members of the Academic Union of Universities (ASUU), Labour Unions – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joint Action Front, and members of the Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) began from the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo to major areas of the state capital.

Addressing the protesters, leaders of the protesting groups said the government, especially federal and states, should swiftly intervene to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.

Members of ASUU who joined the protest called on the President Bola Tinubu administration to offset the eight-month withheld salaries of its members, as well as roll out measures to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal.

“We are out today to demand the abolition of all anti-masses policies by the federal government. We are saying enough to incessant Petroleum price hikes.

“We are saying enough to insecurity that is ravaging the nooks and cranny of our land. We are saying enough to corruption. We are saying enough to the commercialisation of education. Nigerian masses are saying enough to incessant abuse of power.

“We are saying enough to poor workers’ wages, the payment that can not take workers home. Workers are demanding the immediate stoppage of all atrocious policies that are capable of incapacitating our people, who are capable of incapacitating Nigerian workers for giving their children quality education. We are saying Enough is Enough.

“Politics in Nigeria should be demonietised. We are saying enough is enough to all the policies that bring sufferings to the lives of our people. We are saying enough to all the policies that are capable of dividing Nigerians into different factions.

“We are here today to communicate to the Nigerian government that the masses are suffering. We are saying enough to protracted the holding of ASUU members’ salaries. We are saying enough to all policies that are unfriendly to the masses.”

They urged the authorities to address issues relating to the security and well-being of the country as it is the primary responsibility of every government to aid the safety of the masses.