Some members of the Civil Society under the aegis of Joint Action Front (JAF) in Oyo state has vowed to carry on with the protest despite the national directive by the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress to suspend subsidy removal action.
The society said they will hit the streets of Ibadan and other parts of the state on Thursday in line with the initial protest plan with the labour unions, saying they are not part of the decision to suspend the protest.
The group spoke at the Labour House, Secretariat of the NLC, Oyo State Chapter shortly after Labour leaders including a national officer, Comrade Mike Olanrewaju, Oyo NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins among others addressed a press conference to convey the national directive on the suspension of the protest rally.
The labour leaders said the decision to suspend the protest is in line with the decision of the Federal Government to also suspend the implementation of the removal on fuel subsidy.
Secretary of JAF in Oyo state, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye who addressed journalists in company of other activists, said members of the civil society movement would continue with the protest irrespective of the decision reached by NLC.
He said “We are going ahead with the protest notwithstanding the suspension of the subsidy removal. We are ready for them.
“We are here this afternoon ordinarily to solidarised with the decision of the NLC on the planned protest against move to hike fuel pump price, but unfortunately, when we got here, the story changed and the changed story is that the National Secretariat of NLC, as usual, have decided to suspend or cancel the planned action.
“And we at the Civil Society Organisation of Nigeria are not satisfied with the decision. It is a betrayal on the expectations of the masses of Nigerian. It is on this basis that we announce that the Civil Society Organisation in Oyo State under a banner that will be determined later to go ahead with the protest on Thursday, to express our displeasure against the decision of the national leadership of NLC.
“Not only that, to express our opposition against the deregulation of the oil sector which is the root cause of all these problems we are facing. We cannot continue to fight against the symptom, we are ready to fight the cause and not until that is done, we are not ready to drop our agitation.”
Speaking Earlier at the press conference, the national officer of the NLC, Mike Olanrewaju, said NLC was putting the protest on hold due to the suspension of subsidy removal by the Federal Government.
He lamented that all Nigerians are affected by the hike in fuel price.
Olanrewaju said: “We are ever ready and responsive to resist anything that would affect the masses, no matter the party or any type of government that is in control.
In his remarks, Comrade Kayode Martins appreciated the labour members for their unflinching support and cooperation.
