Protesters Pull Down National Assembly Gate, Demand N30,000 Palliative in Lagos

Protesters, led by organised labour today pulled down the gate of the National Assembly in Abuja.

The protesters, who had the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, leader, Joe Ajaero, and Festus Osifo of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, leading, asked security operatives stationed at the legislative building to open the gates so workers can talk to the lawmakers.

But the security officials refused. In anger, the protesters pulled down the gates and flooded the assembly complex.

The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume asked the labour leaders and protesters to call off the nationwide protest and give the Senate one week to address the demands brought before it.

Meanwhile, in Lagos, Labour demanded N30,000 subsidy palliative from the state government to assuage the hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal.

Chairman of Lagos NLC, Funmi Sessi, made the demand when the Deputy Governor, Kadri Hamzat, addressed the protesters.

Sessi explained that the minimum wage can no longer take care of lagosian’s burdens.

Among those who joined the labour leaders to protest in Lagos were human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the 2023 election Omoyele Sowore.

Also joining the protest, the vice chairman of the Trade Union Congress, TUC in the state Comrade Idogen Emmanuel called for the sack of the NNPCL chairman and the acting CBN governor