Youth Coalition Backs NLC, Mobilizes Two Million Protesters

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, says it has mobilized at least 2 million persons in the region to join the nationwide protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.

NLC and the Trades Union Congress, TUC, have slated Wednesday (today) for its strike and nationwide mass protests following the hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidies.

The decision followed the inability of the Federal Government to reach a truce with organized labour as the two-day meeting between the duo ended in a deadlock on Tuesday.

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NLC and TUC are demanding palliatives and other measures that would mitigate the effect of the fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.

Speaking on the planned protest on Tuesday, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said in a statement that the organised labour had no reason to suspend the planned national protest.

Ajaero spoke a few hours after another round of meetings of the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives held at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, deadlocked.

Backing the move by NLC, COSEYL in a statement issued on Wednesday by its President General, Goodluck Ibem said its members were in full support, stressing that the protest became necessary following the unbearable hardship being faced by Nigerians.

The statement reads in part, “We have mobilized two million of our members to fully support the nationwide protest by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and other groups in the country.

“Nigeria and her economy depend solely on fuel and other petroleum products to function and any decision or policy that increases the price of the petroleum products will hit hard on Nigerians.

“We, therefore, pledge our full support to the protest in order to save Nigerians from extinction as a result of the hardship and suffering they are currently facing.”