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| Part of the protesters in Dutse, during the NLC Nationwide protest |
By Salisu K Ismail
Despite the directive from the Jigawa State police commissioner instructing against marching on the streets during the nationwide protest, the Jigawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) went ahead with their march.
Disregarding the order issued earlier on Tuesday, the organized labor union convened under the leadership of Comrade Sunusi Alhassan Maigari, marched approximately two kilometers from the central El-Id ground to the state NLC secretariat, located along Ibrahim Aliyu bye pass in the outskirts of the state capital.
During his address to the crowd, the Jigawa State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Sunusi Alhassan Maigari, expressed disappointment regarding the delay by the state government in providing wage awards to workers in the state.
He conveyed to the audience that, the Jigawa NLC is maintaining its stance, as decided during the executive council meeting, that the proposed N10,000 increment per month for three months by governor Umar Namadi is deemed unacceptable.
Additionally, he urged the state government to guarantee the complete enforcement of all agreements reached during the negotiations to extend the N10,000 increment for six months instead of three months.
"The NLC Jigawa State Council wish to join the entire workers and masses of Nigeria to show displeasure with the state of affairs of our dear country Nigeria and drawing the attention of the government to honour all agreement with the organized labour earlier reached," Maigari added.
Stating their prayer during his speech, Comrade Maigari said that, "The government should fix our refineries, stop the Naira devaluation, end hunger and poverty reject IMF/World bank policies, end hunger and poverty, support local industries, end insecurity, create jobs and economic prosperity".
The police commissioner, Mr Ahmed T Abdullahi earlier ordered the organize labour union to limited it's protest within the NLC secretariat not match in the streets of the city.
Mr Ahmed T Abdullahi's order was contained in a statement issued by the Command's Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Lawal Shi'isu Adam on the early hours of today (Tuesday)
According to the statement "the CP pleaded with the NLC leaders to consider the interest of the state and the peaceful atmosphere enjoyed by the people across the state not be on streets".
The statement further stated that "the CP warned them not to be on the street but rather, they should converge in their secretariat, address the press, express their grievances, and disperse to their various destinations".
The CP threaten that any breach of the peace will encounter the state during the so-called nationwide peaceful demonstration, and the leadership of NLC will be held responsible.
"The Command will not think twice about stopping any person or group that may purposefully hide behind these nonviolent protests to undermine law and order in the state as it works in tandem with sister security agencies. Also will use all of its legal authority to make sure that no one's rights are infringed, so the demonstrators are cautioned to make sure that all processions are carried out within the bounds of the law".
"Any attempt by criminal elements or groups of criminals to take advantage of these processions will be met with every humane response within the bounds of the law".
According to a report in the state revealed that, the Jigawa state police commissioner summoned a meeting with the official of the organized labour in the state last Monday.
Report also indicated that, the meeting which lasted up to the night hours didn't reached any agreement on the conditions sets up by police to NLC, a situation necessitated to move the meeting to office of the governor, at Government House, with the governor Malam Umar Namadi in attendance.
However, the Jigawa Police Command maintained it's ground of banning the protesters under the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to go round the city in fear of breaking law and order, in which the NLC defies the police commissioner's order, matched on the streets and terminated at the NLC secretariat where the chairman addressed the gathering.
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