Nigerians are hungry, the cost of living is high - NLC, TUC

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday took over the National Assembly Complex, Abuja with a protest over

the depreciating standard of living in the country.

The delay in the upward review of minimum wage and the appalling cost of items in the country led to the protest, according to the current NLC Chairman, Mr Ayuba Wabba. He also said that Nigerian worker are the main victims of corruption and bad governance.

He said,“We are here to demand for good governance and express our support in the fight against corruption.

“More importantly, we demand for respect for rule of law, greater accountability and transparency in governance."

“Today the dollar rate is N500 to one dollar and the salaries of Nigerian workers have remained the same.

“Therefore, we are here to urge the National Assembly to play an important role to ensure that life is made better for Nigerians.

“We cannot succeed if the fight against corruption does not succeed.

“We appreciate the efforts by the National Assembly to ensure financial autonomy for the local governments and this must be sustained because money meant for the local governments does not get there.’’

Mr. Ayuba went further to express his concern that despite bailout funds to states for worker's salary, they have not been paid, “the living condition of workers have not been improved because many are not paid’’.

He also talked about the agonies the pensioners in the country are facing, some were owed up to 77 months and called on the National Assembly to work with other arms of government to settle them.

Bobboi Kaigama, the TUC President, also contributed by saying that the inflation rate in the country was growing astronomically.

Kaigama said that it was time for governments at all tiers to go back to the drawing board to retore the country’s economy back to glory.

Kaigama said, "Whatever it takes, we must review the structure of our economy.

“If we must have to kill corruption, the laws have to come from the National Assembly.

“Nigerians are hungry, the cost of living is high, no houses, no light and factories have gone comatose."

Responding to their expression, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said, "we need to sit down and work out how to make necessary adjustments".

“It can’t continue this way, the exchange rate is high, cost of things in the market have gone high but only the workers’ salaries remain the same.

“By the next time we will meet, I will tell you what the National Assembly has done to improve the living condition of Nigerians,’’ Saraki said.