Kilani Abdulwaliyyu, the Acting Chairman Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kebbi chapter, has appealed to the state government to urgently release and distribute the palliatives supplied by the Federal Government.
He made the plea while leading protesting members of NLC to convey their message to the state Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, at the Cabinet Office in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the peaceful protest was a sequel to a directive by the national body of NLC to all state chapters nationwide that a demonstration be carried out to show dismay over the current hash situation in Nigeria following fuel subsidy removal.
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The protest was carried out in collaboration with Trade Union Congress (TUC), Kebbi chapter, to register deep concern over what’s happening to helpless poor Nigerians.
“We want to appeal for the immediate release and distribution of palliative already approved by the Federal Government.“We heard the consignment is in your custody, but we have no confirmation.
“We have confidence in you, sir; please, if this palliative is released, do not hesitate to allow this palliative to reach the vulnerable people.” He presented some requests to the governor, including the payment of workers’ leave grants, the amount of uniform allowance to health workers and the rejuvenation of workers’ transportation system to enable them to go to work regularly.
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Other requests, Abdulwaliyyu said, were the need for a review of salary structure in the state, the introduction of peculiar allowance to judicial workers, the implementation of new maternity leave for nursing mothers and the implementation of promotion and payment of arrears to workers. The labour leader lamented that many workers now don’t go to work due to hardship inflicted by petrol subsidy removal. In contrast, many could not afford three square meals a day caused by the same subsidy removal.
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) during a peaceful protest in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday. Responding, Gov. Nasir Idris, who his Deputy, Alhaji Umar Abubakar-Tafida, represented, reminded the unionists that the state governor “is one of you, and I am sure that he will do everything humanly possible to do the right thing in favour of labour and also advise the federal government to do same”. He confirmed to the unionists that the state government was yet to receive the soothing from the Federal Government, assuring it was on the way.
“The governor has already given a directive that once we receive the palliative, we should go ahead and form a committee to distribute the items to the general public and add to it,” he said.
He noted that the state government was aware of all the demands listed by labour and assured it was ready to address them one after the other.
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