The civil society organisations have declared that should Nigerians decide to heed the call of Nigeria Labour Congress, to embark on nationwide protest on August 2, federal government has no power to stop them.
He made this statement in anticipation of the government to stop planned NLC strike and protest through court injunction.
Punch reports that the Executive Director, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, stated that the masses could stage their protest despite a court order against the NLC, as it was their constitutional right.
“If the government stops the NLC from embarking on a peaceful demonstration, that does not include other Nigerians. Other Nigerians who are victims of socio-economic hardship, they have the right to go on and protest, and also join any movement because the Constitution is very clear; it allows freedom of association and movement,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, has expressed doubt on the capability of the organised labour to forge ahead with the protest as earlier announced.
He faulted the NLC’s seeming lack of commitment to embarking on the strike, noting that while the NLC was supposed to lead and trigger a mass protest, it appeared they weren’t interested in following through with it.
“It’s like the NLC has not been very forthcoming or doesn’t mean to go on strike, and the NLC is supposed to be a leader in the mass movement, not to be the sole actor. So, they are supposed to trigger a mass protest, but the way NLC goes about it, they don’t mean to continue the strike, Adeniran concluded.
