Sowore, who joined the workers on Wednesday at Ikeja to march to the state House of Assembly at Alausa, Lagos, disclosed to our correspondent in an exclusive interview that protesters were always peaceful, adding that police officers were allegedly those that always caused violence by provoking protesters.
Sowore said, “By the very nature of protests, they’re peacefully organised, it is usually the Nigerian police force that causes violent disruption of protests.”
The PUNCH reports that workers under the banner of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress began a nationwide protest on Wednesday against the removal of fuel subsidy.
The protests were held across several states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In Abuja, angry protesters pulled down the gate of the National Assembly complex.
It was gathered that the protesters led by the leaders of the Organised Labour, Joe Ajaero of the NLC and Festus Osifo of the TUC asked security officials stationed at the legislative building to open the gate to allow the workers to enter the premises of the National Assembly.
Following the alleged failure of the security officials to adhere, protesters pulled down the gate in reaction and thronged into the assembly complex to vent their displeasure.
However, in Lagos, the protesters marched in an orderly manner from Ikeja Underbridge to the state assembly premises where they later dispersed at the end of the protest. Although the police were seen in a show of force, the officers were stationed at strategic locations as they monitored the rally.
“It was understood that the NLC leaders met with the police on Tuesday, they probably struck a deal,” Sowore added while commenting on the peaceful nature of the protest.
Also present at the Lagos protest was Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana.
Falana while addressing the press said there was a committee in place between organised labour and the Federal Government to negotiate minimum wage.
“In the next couple of weeks, we can have a new minimum wage and this time around it must be a living minimum wage so that the take-home of workers can take them home,” he said.
Falana added that to meet workers’ demands, the government would have to review the management of the economy, including not allowing the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund “to dictate how to run the country’s economy.”
