The Anambra State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday participated in the national body’s ongoing statewide protest against insecurity in Nigeria.
Our correspondent reported that the protest rally began at around 11:05 a.m. at the NLC Secretariat at Regina Caeli Junction and ended at the popular UNIZIK Junction in Awka, with all of the union’s connected bodies in attendance.
Speaking at the protest, Humphrey Nwafor, Chairman of the NLC in the state, stated that they organized the event to call the Federal Government’s attention to the country’s deteriorating security situation.
Nwafor stated that this action is a collective scream of grief and a patriotic call to action in response to the country’s deteriorating security situation.
He said, “Today, the NLC, in compliance with the clear and unanimous resolution of its National Executive Council, has embarked on a nationwide protest rally across 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“This action represents a collective cry of anguish and a patriotic call to action over the worsening state of insecurity in our dear country. The Nigerian worker can no longer remain silent in the face of relentless bloodshed, kidnappings, banditry, terrorism, communal clashes, and other violent crimes that continue to threaten lives, livelihoods, and national cohesion.
“From rural communities to urban centers, Nigerians now live in fear—uncertain of their safety at workplaces, on highways, in farms, schools, markets, and even within the supposed safety of their homes.
“As the umbrella body of Nigerian workers, the Nigeria Labour Congress considers the protection of lives and property as fundamental to productivity, economic stability, and social progress.
“A nation that cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens cannot sustain development, attract investment, or secure a dignified and prosperous future for its workforce.”
According to him, workers in Nigeria are among the worst victims of this escalating insecurity, with many having lost colleagues, loved ones, and their means of livelihood.
He stated that firms are closing, agricultural productivity is dropping, transportation costs are rising, and inflationary pressures are mounting, all of which are largely due to widespread insecurity.
“Once again, it is the working people and the poor who bear the heaviest burden of this national crisis.
“This peaceful protest rally is neither an act of hostility nor a declaration of confrontation against the government. Rather, it is a constitutional, lawful, and moral demand for urgent, decisive, and coordinated action to address the security challenges confronting our nation.
“We call on the Federal Government to significantly strengthen its efforts, provide adequate support, modern equipment, and welfare for our security personnel, and adopt more effective strategies, as the measures currently in place have proven insufficient to guarantee the safety of citizens across the country.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress remains committed to peaceful engagement, national unity, and the collective struggle for a safer, just, and more secure Nigeria where workers and citizens can live and work without fear,” he added.
This protest, which follows previous rallies in Lagos, Abuja, and other states, aims to address broader labor problems such as unresolved agreements with the federal government, growing living costs, and the impact of insecurity on workers’ productivity, safety, and livelihoods.
