The Oyo State Governor, ‘ Seyi Makinde, has participated in a peaceful protest alongside the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other civil society groups on Tuesday to advocate for a more prosperous Nigeria.
Recognizing the prevailing hunger and discontent in the nation, Makinde emphasized the importance of unity in addressing the challenges, stating, “The solution lies in our collective efforts to tackle these issues.”
Governor Makinde pledged to convey the concerns raised by the NLC and civil society organizations in Oyo State regarding the economic hardships to President Bola Tinubu.
He assured the protesters of his commitment to fostering a better future for Nigeria, highlighting the initiatives implemented by his administration since October to alleviate the impact of the economic difficulties, such as the introduction of various programs and the payment of a 25,000 Naira wage bonus.
Encouraging peaceful demonstrations, Governor Makinde urged the protesters to maintain order both during and after the protest.
His words: “My message to the protesters and people of Oyo State is to simply let them know that this is a trying period for our country. It is not the time for divisive activities. We have to pull together and confront the challenges that we are faced with.
“Usually, when you are going through a period where you are trying to reform a system, there will be challenges. We have seen it in 1989 during the Structural Adjustment Programme. We had a riot but, at the end of the day, we still all came together to solve our problem.
“I told the Labour and also responded to the NLC president that this is not the time for lies and propaganda. They cannot say no state is paying wage awards as we have started paying it to our workers and pensioners since October, last year. Even, I have extended it by another six months to give us the opportunity to sit down and negotiate the minimum wage and the adjustment that will come with it.
“So, I have appealed to them though I know that this protest is their right. I will pass the letter they gave to me to the President.
“I know there is hunger and anger in the land but the solution is still for us to pull together.”
The NLC chairman in the state, Comrade Kayode Martins and other labour union leaders appealed to federal government to find lasting solution to economic hardship facing the country.
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