Some protesters working for political agenda- Ngelale alleges

Innocent Raphael

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has slammed the nationwide protest staged by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), alleging that it has been hijacked by some people with a political agenda.

Ngelale said this during an interview with TV Continental.

He explained that the fact that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) did not join the protest showed it was illegitimate.

“Any labour union that is speaking to the concerns of Nigerian families, the pains that are being felt by our people, is absolutely free to do so. It is right that Nigerians speak up in difficult situations,” he said.

“And the government has been doing everything possible to alleviate those concerns. But we also want to separate the legitimate concerns being expressed by some of the labour unions from people trying to leverage some of the situations in the country to achieve a political agenda.

“We have seen the Trade Union Congress (TUC) pull out of the purported nationwide protest. We have seen the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) pull out of the protest. There is no unanimity behind what NLC is trying to do. I believe all of the legitimate concerns being raised by the unions are being tackled by the administration of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.

After last-minute efforts by the federal government to stall the protest had ended in deadlock, Nigerian cities witnessed peaceful protests on Tuesday as members of organised labour flooded the streets to demonstrate against the economic hardship and inflation confronting the nation.

Among other prominent Nigerians who participated in the protests include Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; human rights lawyer, Femi Falana; the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, and others.

The protest which was a two-day warning to the federal government continues tomorrow.