TUC demands security protection for August 1 protesters

…clarifies stands on proposed demonstration

By Ukpono Ukpong

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on all the security architecture in the country to ensure the provision of protection for the scheduled August 1 protesters.

Recent reports have shown that various Nigerian groups are planning a nationwide protest from August 1 to 10, dubbed “10 days of rage,” to address the country’s soaring cost of living and economic hardship.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure the protest is not hijacked by hoodlums to cause mayhem on Nigerians.

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“We are happy with some of the comments that we are hearing from different quarters, that when the protests do take place, that these people will be protected because that’s our concern.

“I hereby, call on the Inspector General of Police and the entire security agency to do everything possible to provide security for whoever wants to carry out protests, so that the protest will not degenerate into chaos because we are very keen on that. When it degenerates to chaos or violence, when hoodlums hijack such protest, it may lead to several issues and part of those issues will also be vandalisation.

“We have also observed and in most cases, people that are vandalized are the downtrodden Nigerians like you and I. So, the Inspector General of Police and the security outfit in Nigeria must ensure that whoever is to protest must be adequately protected because the right of protest is actually guaranteed in the Nigerian constitution,” Osifo said.

Speaking further, Osifo clarified the Congress stance on the proposed nationwide protest.

Osifo said that TUC would not be mobilising members to join in the protest which up until now was yet to have a face attached to its organisers or sponsors.

He explained that no one had reached out to the Congress for collaboration as regards the protest.

“When you are having a protest you need to sit down, have conversation, have meetings, you plan but as of today, nobody has reached out to us that they want to protest, nobody has asked for our collaboration so how do you expect us to participate in a protest when we don’t know who is organising it?

“We don’t even have any idea whatsoever what is going to happen and as an institution, we also know that we have various organs that we run some of those things with. The leadership never sat down one day on the phone to call for a strike or protest but instead, we called the organs’ meeting to do a review.

“The same way you saw it in the media is the way we have seen it. it’s something we don’t really know who is organising it, we don’t really know who is protesting but all we know is that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very clear on the issue of protest and the Police Act also mandated the police that when there is a protest they should ensure there is law and order, they should ensure those that are protesting are also protected.

“That is why we are reminding them that provision in the Police Act and the provision in the Constitution should be respected. If they had contacted us maybe we would have called our organs meeting for us to review but as of today, there is clearly nothing to discuss, there is clearly nothing to review,” Osifo said.