Tinubu’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, flays NLC, says nationwide protest ‘unnecessary’

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has criticized the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for organizing a nationwide protest, describing it as needless.

The protests, which took place on Tuesday in various Nigerian cities, saw members of organized labour taking to the streets to demonstrate against the economic hardships and rising inflation faced by citizens.

Reacting to the protests by organised labour across the country, Ngelale said in an interview with TVC that the rally was needless while adding that the federal government has already started addressing the economic hardship.

“Any labour union that is speaking to the concerns of Nigerian families, the pains that are being felt by our people, is absolutely free to do so. It is right that Nigerians speak up in difficult situations,” he said.

“And the government has been doing everything possible to alleviate those concerns. But we also want to separate the legitimate concerns being expressed by some of the labour unions from people trying to leverage some of the situations in the country to achieve a political agenda.

“We have seen the Trade Union Congress (TUC) pull out of the purported nationwide protest. We have seen the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) pull out of the protest. There is no unanimity behind what NLC is trying to do. I believe all of the legitimate concerns being raised by the unions are being tackled by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.”

The Nigerian government had asked the NLC to shelve its proposed nationwide demonstration on February 27 and 28, 2024, arguing that it had met the demands of the labour group.

Despite this, the labour union emphasised the need for the government to implement its agreements with them and tackle the raging economic crisis that has taken a heavy toll on the citizens.

The West African country is dealing with high inflation, a currency crisis, and a high cost of living caused by the removal of subsidies on petrol, which has further worsened the situation across the country.