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There was a massive turnout of workers in Ebonyi State yesterday as they joined their colleagues nationwide to protest against the economic hardship in Nigeria.
The protesters, who arrived at Pa Ngele Oruta township stadium, Abakaliki, the venue of the take-off, marched around major streets and roads.
The workers were led by the Ebonyi State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Oguguo Egwu.
Speaking during a brief stop at Udensi Roundabout near the old Government House, Egwu noted that the workers are the worst hit.
He said: “Nigerian people are dying, we are suffering and smiling. It is obvious that Nigerian people, despite the hardship we face daily, still try to move.
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“It is obvious that the pain is too much and we are here to use every legal means to tell the world that indeed we are in pain, that indeed we are suffering.
“We are here not against anybody, we are here because we are hungry. Starvation has become a burden among Nigerian people, starvation has become a burden among the workers.
“A worker cannot even afford a square meal, a worker cannot feed himself not to talk of his family, a worker cannot afford to take himself to work and yet we call ourselves Nigerians.
“We have children but we cannot take them to school, we have children but we cannot even afford to feed them. A sachet of pure water is more than N50, a litre of fuel is more than N700, a litre of cooking gas is more than N1400, a bag of cement is more than 10,000 as we speak, a bushel of rice is more than N30, 000.
“We shall not continue to be silent, we shall continue to speak out, we shall continue to let the ruling class know that the period of oppression is coming to an end and Nigeria must be good again”.
Security operatives were on hand to escort the workers during the protest.
The protest was peaceful and there was no incident of violence throughout.
