Plateau State organized labour has joined their counterparts in the ongoing nationwide protest over what they described as anti poor people policies of the Federal Government.
The nationwide protest is ongoing simultaneously today (Wednesday) across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, over failure of the Federal Government to meet the demands of the workers and the poor masses of Nigeria.
The Plateau State protest which was held under the Bridge of Secretariat Junction flyover in Jos, saw different workers unions and the civil society groups participating as police personnel were also seen around the venue.
Addressing the press at the venue, the Plateau State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, (TUC) Comrade, Kenneth Shammah, who described the protest as a rally, said if the Federal Government fails to listen to them and the rally eventually turns into protest, the government will feel the heat.
He said in the history of Nigeria, this is the first time that they are giving demands with solutions and with a holistic approach to the Government on how to resolve the issues amicably.
“They said let the poor breath, we want the poor to breath. How do we go about that? This is a simple thing, we have a very simple template for them, follow this template. We know the system, we understand the system… They are going behind, criticizing it and this is not the way to go.
“We keep saying don’t suffocate the poor, allow the poor to breath, how can you breath under this scenario? How can you breath when you are suffocated? How can you breath when someone is sitting on your own lung? Enough is enough, Comrade Shammah added.
Also, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Comrade Eugene Manji, said they are protesting because of the poor policies of the government, saying if allowed, the country will face worse in the nearest future.
“Now in September, I wonder how many parents would be able to pay the School fees of their children. That is part of the danger of those things that we are facing. The increase from ₦197 of pump price of PMS is just not good. People are thinking we are antigonizing the government” he noted.
He said the determining factor of commodity prices mostly is the fuel and said the government could have put up some measures before the removal of the fuel subsidy.
The Vice President of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Jos chapter, Chris Piwuna said as long as the government will continue to torment them with draconian and ill conceived policies, they would continue to fight.
“This thing started like a joke, taxes everywhere, VAT everywhere. In the last ten or so years, we have lost count of how electricity has gone up. Now within a span of two months or so, pump price of petrol has gone up by over three hundred percent. We can’t take it any longer” he added.
The protest as observed truncated some activities in the state as some major commercial banks in Jos the Plateau State Capital are closed.