President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, announced Saturday that the union would not participate in the upcoming nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1.
The protest, spearheaded by youth groups, is aimed at addressing the ongoing economic difficulties affecting Nigerians.
In a press briefing in Abuja, Osifo expressed the TUC’s lack of involvement, citing that the organizers of the protest had not reached out to the labour union for collaboration or input.
“When planning a protest, there needs to be dialogue and proper coordination,” Osifo stated.
“As of now, we have not been contacted by anyone involved in the protest. We are unaware of who is organizing it or what specific actions are planned.”
Osifo further emphasised the need for communication and coordination when organizing such significant events.
He pointed out that the TUC, as an institution, relies on internal meetings and discussions to address matters related to labour actions, rather than participating in uncoordinated demonstrations.
The TUC president also called on Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to ensure that any protest activities are conducted peacefully and in accordance with legal provisions.
He reminded that the Nigerian Police Act mandates the protection of protesters and the maintenance of law and order during demonstrations.
“We have only learned about this protest through media reports, just like the general public,” Osifo added.
“We urge the police to uphold their responsibilities as outlined in the Police Act and ensure that the rights of all participants are safeguarded.”
Osifo concluded by stating that if the organizers had reached out to the TUC, the union would have convened its organs for a thorough review and potential involvement.
However, with no official communication received, the TUC will not be participating in the protest.
The planned protest reflects growing public dissatisfaction with economic conditions in Nigeria, but the TUC’s stance highlights a gap in collaboration and coordination between various stakeholders involved in advocating for economic reforms.
The protests, organised in response to governance issues and rising living costs, have garnered significant public interest and concern.
After the call for protests began to gain ground, the Federal Government, governors and the security establishment tried to dissuade organisers from going ahead with the protest.
Although the organisers of the protests are still unknown, Sowore, a longstanding activist and government critic, has been promoting the protest.
On Thursday, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, issued a list of 14 demands from Nigerians to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Sowore, sharing the demands on his social media account, emphasised that they reflect the inputs of Nigerians participating in the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign.
He stated, “So far, these are the commonest but fundamental demands from those who have responded to pursuing a general set of DEMANDs to #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria for the Days of Rage revolt scheduled for the end of July until August 2024.”
The 14 demands listed by Sowore are as follows:
1. New Constitution: Scrap the 1999 Constitution and replace it with a people-made constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a Sovereign National Conference, followed by a National Referendum.
2. Legislative Reform: Abolish the Senate, retain the House of Representatives, and make lawmaking a part-time endeavor.
3. Minimum Wage: Ensure a minimum wage of at least N250,000 monthly for Nigerian workers.
4. Educational Investment: Heavily invest in education, provide grants instead of loans to students, and pursue free and compulsory education for children.
5. Release Nnamdi Kanu: Unconditionally release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demilitarize the South East.
6. Renationalization: Renationalize publicly owned enterprises previously sold to government officials and their cronies.
7. Subsidy Regime: Reinstate a corruption-free subsidy regime to alleviate hunger, starvation, and multidimensional poverty.
8. Anti-Corruption Measures: Investigate past and present leaders who have looted the treasury, recover stolen funds, and use them to finance education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
9. Restructuring: Restructure Nigeria to accommodate its diversity, ensure resource control, decentralization, and regional development.
10. Security Reforms: Reform security agencies to stop human rights violations, eliminate redundancy, and enhance citizens’ security.
11. Energy Fund: Establish a Special Energy Fund to drive massive, corruption-free development in the power sector.
12. Electoral Body Reconstitution: Reconstitute the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove corrupt individuals and partisan hacks manipulating elections.
13. Public Works and Industrialization: Invest massively in public works and industrialization to employ the country’s large youth population.
14. Judicial Reform: Undertake a massive shake-up in the judiciary to remove corrupt judges and officers, ensuring everyday citizens have access to real justice.