President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has advised the Tinubu administration to call the leaders and organizers of the planned August 1 protests and have a meaningful dialogue with them on the path forward for the nation.
Ajaero in a statement released to the press on Monday said protesting is a right of citizens, and millions of Nigerians are angry about the state of the national economy.
He highlighted the severity of the economic situation, citing statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, and the International Rescue Committee, IRC.
He emphasized that many Nigerian families are struggling to eat one meal a day, and millions are living below extreme poverty lines.
Ajaero expressed concern about the government’s response to the protests, stating that describing citizens’ struggles as “sponsored political dissent” is condescending and dismissive.
He emphasized that citizens demand a listening ear and an empathetic heart from their government.
“As the date for the widely reported national protest looms, the Nigeria Labour Congress urges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite the leadership of the protest movement for discussions on their grievances.
“These are dire times. Nigerians are angry. The times require government to “jaw-jaw” and not “war war” with Nigerians. The truth is that you cannot smack a child and, at the same time, ask the child not to cry. A stitch in time might still save nine. Solidarity forever,” the statement read.
