NLC/TUC protest turns sinister in Uyo as protesters mock Udom Emmanuel, Buhari
Nigerians are truly comedians. They joke about almost every thing, including their lifelines.
The truth of this statement played out s Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Wednesday, during the nationwide proetest by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congresks, TUC, ddagainst a Bill in the National Assembly, seeking to remove National Minimum Wage fdroddmdjsddj Exclusive List to Concurrent Legislative List.
Akwa Ibom workers joined Labour in solidarity protest, having viewed the Bill as an attempt to weaken the power of collective bargaining, which the labour movement has.
The protest, which took off from NLC Workers Solidarity Centre, Atan Offot, saw the protesters occupying Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Complex as workers insisted that if the bill succeeds, state government will decide how much they can pay workers and private sector will run a slave work force because they will not be bound by government’s decision.
Rather than focused on these issues, a cross section of the placard-carrying protesters dabbled into topical issues in the state, some of which do not concern workers directly.
Among these issues was slow pace of work at Ikot Oku Ikono Flyover along Abak Road, Uyo.
For instance, a female protester was sighted displaying a placard with the inscription: PLEASE, FINISH WORK AT EKOM IMAN FLYOVER RAPTURE COMES. STOP “OVERTIME”. JESUS IS COMING SOON.
The development has attracted mixed reactions from Akwa Ibom people, particuarly in the social media.
For example, one Facebook user wrote:
“”WILL THE TRUMPET BE SOUNDED ON A FLY-OVER?
“No wonder they call us labour; we like labouring ourselves over what doesn’t concern us. Go and talk about minimum wage, you diverted to Ekom Iman fly-over. Even if ten fly-over bridges are built this year in Uyo, if you don’t leave that your sinful life, when rapture comes, you will never take part. Or do churches now preach that Jesus Christ will stand on top of fly-over to blow the trumpet?
“Meanwhile Rivers State is more prepared for that your fly-over-induced rapture than you. And I know this “armoured carrier” babe o. I will give them your phone number, so that afo onyung okop nanga aba!…IBAK!”
The Union leaderships were also found diverting attention from the issues at after a placard displyed near them called on President Buhari to fix refineries.
Commenting on the situation, a journalist, Abasiekong Abasiekong, said:
“Mkpo Akwa Ibom asie aba nte Zee World: “Extraordinary everyday”
“All over the country, NLC is protesting against NASS intent to remove the Minimum Wage from the Exclusive List, in Akwa Ibom NLC is demanding for the completion of a flyover and fixing of refineries.
“Can you see the crop of Labour Leaders we have?”
