At least 65 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations Forum have withdrawn from the planned nationwide protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The CSOs argued that the protest, scheduled for February 27 and 28, may be hijacked by hoodlums and other criminal elements
The CSOs added that the planned protest might also end up inflicting more hardship on Nigerians.
They made their position known in a statement jointly signed by the Coordinator and Secretary, Comrade Buba Ibrahim Mohammed and Comrade George Phillips, respectively.
Any attempt to embark on a nationwide strike during these critical period of hunger and harsh economy could be hijacked by hoodlums and criminal elements, who have been waiting for the slightest opportunity to unleash terror; disrupt public peace, loot business premises and markets,” the CSOs said.
They instead called for more dialogue with the federal government in resolving the issues.
“As Civil Society Organisations, we do understand the depth of economic challenges facing the ordinary citizens, especially the workers, but we cannot fold our arms and support a move that will further damage and threaten our peaceful coexistence,” they said.
Part of reasons we have refused to join forces with labour unions to create anarchy and cause more hardship for the people . Instead, we are making frantic efforts to meet with federal government to discuss how to amicably resolve the issues at stake.
“We recognise the importance of addressing labour-related concerns and advocating for workers’ rights, we kindly urge the labour unions to explore alternative means of dialogue and negotiation with the relevant authorities,” they added.