February 27, (THEWILL) – Against the lingering pains Nigerians have been thrown into momentarily by the economic hardship being experienced across the country, large members of the Bayelsa State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took to the streets of Yenagoa in protest.
The protesting workers embarked on the peaceful procession along the Lambert Eradiri drive. through the Melford Okilo Road, terminating at the Government House at Onopa in Yenagoa, to press home their demands.
THEWILL reports that the police and other security agencies were on ground to ensure a hitch-free protest, to avoid miscreants infiltration.
The hungry and angered protesting workers united under the aegis of the Bayelsa State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, to chant solidarity songs and carried placards with inscriptions such as ” Politicians, let the Poor Breathe”, “End Hunger and Poverty, We Reject IMF Policies”, Stop the High Cost of Living in Nigeria “, “Federal Government Make Our Refineries Work Again”, “Fund Our Public Schools “, amongst others.
In an address, Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Barnabas Simon, said the ailing economy, occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy and spike in exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar, had made life unbearable for workers and the ordinary citizens.
Mr Simon noted that the spiralling inflation in basic food, goods and services had made survival a Herculean task for many families, not only Bayelsa state, but the entire country, as the suffering is no respecter of any tribe and religion.
Receiving the protesters in front of the Government House, Governor Douye Diri commended them for their peaceful conduct during the protest.
The Governor, who stated that the President would not deliberately inflict hardship on Nigerians, said the solution lies in fixing the economy and restoring the value of the Naira.
Governor Diri said he would consult with the State Head of the Civil Service and the leadership of Labour to work out palliatives for the workers in the State, to cushion the effects of the high cost of living on them.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
