Kano commends NLC over peaceful protest, pledges to convey message to President Tinubu
Kola Oyelere, Kano
The Kano State Government has commended the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state for organising a peaceful protest over the prevailing insecurity in the country, assuring that the concerns raised would be conveyed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Security operatives were deployed as early as 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday to strategic locations across the ancient city of Kano to ensure the safety of lives and property and to guarantee a peaceful conduct of the protest.
Speaking to journalists after addressing NLC members in front of the Government House, Kano, the Chief of Staff to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Dr. Sulaiman Wali, said the state government was pleased with the orderly manner in which the protest was conducted.
“So, I want to assure you, on behalf of the Governor and the Government of Kano State, that this government will continue to have a positive relationship with labour,” Wali said.
He added that the state government would continue to engage constructively with organised labour in a way that would promote sustained development for the state and the nation at large.
“I would therefore like to thank you immensely for this gesture and to assure you that, by the grace of God, we will pass on this message to Mr President as soon as possible,” he said.
Wali further noted that peaceful protest is a constitutional right of citizens, stressing that the government’s decision to commend the NLC was in recognition of its responsible conduct.
Earlier, the representative of the NLC President, Comrade Muttaqa Yusha’u, said the rally was organised in line with the resolution of the National Executive Council of the congress to stage a nationwide peaceful protest.
“We are here in Kano in respect of the decision of the National Executive Council, which is the highest organ of the Nigeria Labour Congress, to stage a peaceful rally nationwide to raise awareness and also to strengthen the hands of government at both national and state levels in addressing security challenges,” he said.
Yusha’u reaffirmed the commitment of the NLC to a peaceful, humane and egalitarian Nigeria, noting that persistent insecurity had continued to undermine these ideals.
Also speaking, the Kano State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Kabir Inuwa, said the protest was aimed at expressing the displeasure of workers over the worsening insecurity across the country.
“We are protesting over the prevailing insecurity bedevilling the country. We are doing the right thing by peacefully expressing our concerns over the myriad of security challenges facing Nigeria,” Inuwa said.
The protest in Kano was part of a nationwide action by the NLC to draw attention to security concerns and advocate for stronger measures to ensure peace and safety across the country.