The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday night, suspended its two-day protest all over the country.

The Labour, in a communique at the end of its National Executive Council meeting, said the objectives of the protest were achieved on the first day of the demonstration.

“Consequently, NEC-in-session resolved as follows: to suspend street action for the second day of the Protest having achieved overwhelming success thus attained the key objectives of the 2-day protest on the first day,” the communique partly read.

Nigeria is battling rising inflation, food inflation, forex crisis, economic hardship and high cost of living occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy, attracting protests in parts of the country.

The Presidency had engaged labour leaders in a last-minute talks on Monday night but the meeting ended in a stalemate as the NLC insisted that the protest was going to hold.

Subsequently, the NLC grounded economic activities across the country on Tuesday, with labour leader Joe Ajaero, saying that the protest was about hunger and not just a clamour for a review of the minimum wage.

“You have to understand it. This protest is about hunger. What of those who are not working? The minimum wage, when will it be completed? When will it be implemented? What will be the minimum wage that will remove hunger?” Ajaero queried.

However, in its communique late Tuesday, the first day of the protest, the highest organ of the NLC suspended “street action for the second day of the Protest having achieved overwhelming success thus attained the key objectives of the 2-day protest on the first day”.

“However, Nationwide action continues tomorrow with simultaneous Press Conferences across all the states of the federation by the state Councils of the Congress including the National Headquarters.

“To reaffirm and extend the 7-days ultimatum by another 7 days which now expires on the 13th day of March, 2024 within which the Government is expected to implement all the earlier agreement of the 2nd day of October, 2023 and other demands presented in our letter during today’s nationwide protest.

“To meet and decide on further lines of action if on the expiration of the 14days Government refuses to comply with the demands as contained in the ultimatum.”

Okoroawusa:
Obidients how far the protest? They will soon gather under my post to wail

LegendHero:
Lol, all those who are in the business of sponsoring protests have seen that it is not business as usual during the period of Tinubu.

Tinubu strategically handled all items.

—SE: Normally, Peter Obi/PDP and his gangs of Obedient should have been at the forefront of the protest as opposition. But Tinubu played on their psyche. Prop some people up, then they believe joining protest mean they will be part of people complaining about hunger. So strategically, they are working for Tinubu without knowing. Just feed his ego, and an average Obidient lose his sense of reasoning. Even when parents are now killing kids because of extreme hunger in the SE, Obedients online still believe they are not hungry. What an irony.

—Northerners: In their usual game, they don’t have the moral authority to lead a protest because they know Buhari landed us in this mess and during that period, they failed to protest. So how do you sponsor violent protest when you don’t have the moral support?

—SW: Normally, SW don’t usually speak with one voice coz of 60/40 opposition divide and even if genuine people are protesting, Jagaban people also blended with the crowd and declared hunger and hardship induced by the polices of Tinubu. So when Yorubas themselves are speaking up against Tinubu and complaining of hunger, where is the moral support for opposition to lead a protest? How do you lead protest when the actual people you’re trying to fight against are leading it? So there is controlled protest strategically by same SW politicians to water down effect of any other protest in other part of the country.

—TUC and NLC: Jagaban just try to make sure no amount of protest embarked upon by these guys will carry weight. TUC president saw this and baba backed out of the protest and NLC Ajaero who is another Tinubu tool saw his protest failing on the very first day. An almighty NLC couldn’t even win the confidence of the workers anymore. Ajaero is toothless.

—Police: Usually police are always antagonist of protesters. But the rule play is different now. Police are actually the one cheering with the protesters and even going as far as joining them and providing snacks. So psychologically, the protesters see that the government is part of them. Even if they want to be furious, they will use this to give benefit of the doubt.

Now all this point to one thing. Nigerians believe in Tinubu and they have tried in giving him benefit of the doubt. It’s not like the man jazzed everybody, coz with the hard reforms he embarked on and the hardship that follows it at first, NO PRESIDENT can do this without NLC and opposition shutting the country down. ONLY Jagaban can do that and people will still be patient with him.

Lastly, Jagaban should ensure the promised minimum wage and other intervention come fast. This magic might not last long if people don’t see the promise fulfilled. He is so lucky to have even lasted this long with little nation rocking protest.