S’East youths back NLC, promise to mobilize two million protesters

A South-East youth group under the aegies of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), has thrown its weight behind the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC’s) nationwide protest and has promised to mobilize two million persons in the region to join the protest for as long as it lasts.

In a statement on Wednesday, the President-General of the COSEYL, Goodluck Ibem, said the coalition members were in full support of the protest as it has become necessary following the “unbearable hardship being faced by Nigerians due to anti-poor policies of the government including the sudden removal of fuel subsidy which has caused the cost of living to rise beyond the reach of the ordinary Nigerians.”

“We have mobilized two million of our members to fully support the nationwide protest by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and other groups in the country,” Ibem said.

Read also: No going back as NLC insists on August 2 strike

“Nigeria and her economy depends solely on fuel and other petroleum products to function and any decision or policy that increases the price of the petroleum products will hit hard on Nigerians.

“We therefore pledge our full support to the protest in order to save Nigerians from extinction as a result of the hardship and suffering they are currently facing.”

The NLC and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), had slated Wednesday for the start of nationwide mass protests following the inability of the Federal Government to reach a truce with the organized labour as the two-day meeting between the duo ended in a deadlock on Tuesday.

Speaking on the planned protest on Tuesday, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, had insisted that the protest must go as the organised labour had no reason to suspend the planned national protest.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now