#EndSARS Protest: Labour demands immediate release of COVID-19 palliatives in warehouses

By JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has demanded that the Federal Government should order the immediate release of all the welfare provisions and materials provided to cushion the effects of Coronavirus pandemic to citizens.

Recall that NLC had before now demanded that the distribution of the palliative provisions should be transparent, and inclusive with active participation of mass-based citizen groups.

NLC in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba in Abuja, Monday said that the directive should apply to state governments which it accused were chiefly culprit in hoarding of the palliatives, adding that government officials cannot afford to create a scenario that precipitates mass unrests within this delicate and fragile milieu in global history.

The labour’s demand for the immediate release of palliatives for the COVID-19 came on the heels of the ongoing destructive protests and looting of the palliatives in various warehouses by hoodlums across the country.

The statement read, “The Nigeria Labour Congress has followed with keen concern the unfolding incidents across the country of mass storming and looting of relief welfare materials and provisions stored away in different warehouses.

“These relief palliatives and provisions are believed to have been procured by government to relieve citizens of the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown and the associated hardship.

“It is obvious that the palliative provisions that were procured by government for immediate distribution to the mass of our people at their critical time of need and to assuage the hardship occasioned by the lockdown were hoarded and held back by some government officials.

“The reasons for this have not been made known to the public. We also understand that many of the palliative provisions are already getting rotten in the warehouses where they were stored.

“While we condemn the ensuing mass looting of both the Covid-19 palliatives and non-Covid-19 palliative materials, we equally deplore the conduct of some government officials who stored away relief materials that should have been distributed to the masses of our people at their very trying times of need.

“We call on the Federal Government to investigate the conduct of those who hoarded the palliative provisions.

“In order to forestall riotous plundering of the remaining relief palliatives, the Nigeria Labour Congress demands that the Federal Government should order the immediate release of all the welfare provisions and materials to citizens.

“As we had demanded in the past, the distribution of the palliative provisions should be transparent, and inclusive with active participation of mass-based citizen groups.

“This directive should apply to state governments many of which are chiefly culprit in this regard. Government officials cannot afford to create a scenario that precipitates mass unrests at this very delicate and fragile milieu in global history. A stitch in time would save nine!” (Vanguard)