No withdrawal from August 1 nationwide protest – NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has dismissed reports that it has withdrawn from the upcoming nationwide protest against economic hardship scheduled for August 1.

In a press release on Tuesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero stated that the union cannot withdraw from a protest it did not organize. The release, titled “The Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise,” clarifies that any decision to withdraw would be made by the actual organizers of the protest.

“The NLC has become aware of news reports claiming that the Congress has withdrawn from the planned national protest. These reports are entirely false,” Ajaero said. “Since the NLC is not responsible for organizing the protest, it cannot make a decision about its continuation or cancellation. Only the organizers of the protest have the authority to make such decisions.”

Ajaero further explained that the NLC’s internal decision-making process, which includes trade union mechanisms and leadership approval, governs its involvement in industrial actions like protests.

However, he emphasized that the NLC is not indifferent to the economic hardships faced by Nigerians due to government policies. “Despite not being the organizers, the NLC stands in solidarity with the Nigerian people during these challenging times,” he added.

Ajaero urged President Bola Tinubu to engage with the protest leaders to discuss their demands and called on both federal and state governments to heed the concerns of the Nigerian people.

The protest movement has gained momentum on social media, trending under hashtags such as ‘#EndBadGovernance,’ ‘#TinubuMustGo,’ and ‘#Revolution2024.’ Meanwhile, both the Presidency and police authorities have urged youths to reconsider participating.