Group protest Borno schoolgirls’ abduction at labour rally

Members of a coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Kwara State on Thursday protested against the continued captivity of schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram sect. The protest took place at a rally organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to mark workers’ day. As the  Workers’ Day celebration was going on at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, members of the coalition suddenly emerged while the TUC Chairman, Mr. Kolawole Olumoh, was delivering his speech. The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions.  Some of them read, ‘Where at the Chibok girls?’ ‘Where are our sisters?’ ‘Chibok girls: please find our daughters.’ ‘President Jonathan, please stop playing with our lives.’ Mr. President, our youths are dying.’  Mr. President, where is our $20bn?’ ‘Masses are dying at the expense of few,’ and ‘If one of us is unsafe, none of us is safe.’ In a speech by  Shuaibu Fari and Basambo Abubakar, the group urged President Goodluck Jonathan to find solution to insecurity in the country. “On behalf of the civil society organisation in Kwara State, the coalition expresses concern over the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Borno State and why government have not sufficiently and tactically carried out action that will lead to their rescue.  The coalition demandsq that a secret force should be set up and deployed to rescue these innocent and vulnerable girls from the terrorists’ camp. “Our dear President, the first duty of a president is to have a heart for the people, to treasure his people, love them and have a desire to give them his best all the times.  That is what makes a good president and that is what politics is all about. “Saving our girls right from now and stabilise the security condition of this country should be of utmost priority that goes beyond given rooms for distraction from political opponents or given more attention to the pursuit of personal aspiration.” Chairman, NLC, Kwara State chapter, Mr. Farouk Akanbi also decried the non-release of the schoolgirls and other forms of insecurity and violent crimes. He called on the governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed to look into the demands of workers to enhance productivity and sustain industrial harmony in the state. Such demands included  immediate stoppage of the Millennium Development Goal levy and the issue of Zenith bank shares certificates. He added that the workers demanded more welfare. The NLC boss decried poor services of power firms in the country and the high electricity bills, corruption, abduction of schools girls from Chibok , Borno State and other violent crimes. His TUC counterpart, Kolawole Olumoh, said the sustenance of industrial peace would  improve productivity and national growth. Ahmed  said the government was aware of the demands by labour unions for enhanced welfare packages for their members and the resolution of other outstanding issues. He implored them to adopt more negotiation to guard against actions that could derail the peace and the economic survival of the state. He stated that the government was conscious of its obligation to the people of Kwara State including the workers. But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Belgore, urged  employers of labour to stop leveraging on the high poverty and unemployment rate to blackmail their employees. He said the Kwara State Government was particularly guilty of banking on high poverty rate and unemployment rate to allegedly blackmail the civil servants. Belgore said,”this, unfortunately, has been the case in our state where workers are still not getting minimum wage. “We are aware that many teachers and health workers in Kwara State earn way far below the 18,000 minimum wage! “Indeed, the information from the civil servants is that Kwara State government is only effecting partial payment of the minimum wage.”