A labour leader and immediate past Chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Oyo State, Andrew Emelieze, has urged Nigerians to begin an indefinite sit-at-home protest over the lingering fuel scarcity and high cost of living.
Emelieze said the current fuel scarcity, high cost of living and spate of insecurity had brought untold hardship unto Nigerians.
In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, the labour leader lamented that it was unimaginable that an oil-producing nation could subject her citizens to harrowing hardship.
He said the nation’s problems were being compounded with myriad of security conundrum. He said:” Daily, our problems are being compounded and it is obvious that we are being led astray. The current fuel scarcity has led to untold sufferings in Nigeria. The price of everything has increased and it is becoming very difficult for us to survive.
“It is unimaginable that an oil-producing nation will subject her citizens through this kind of ordeal we are experiencing in Nigeria. There is no excuse for this fuel scarcity. Our people can no longer cope with the rising high cost of living. This torture is unbearable. We have suffered enough in Nigeria.
“As a working class people, there is no way our poor wage can take us home and it is now almost impossible for us to transport ourselves to work. We, therefore, call on the government to immediately ensure the availability of petrol on or before Sunday, March 6, and also revert to the N165 per littre else Nigerian workers will not be able to go to work again.
“We, therefore, urge Nigerian workers to commence an indefinite sit-at-home protest against fuel scarcity, high cost of living and general insecurity in Nigeria from Monday, March 7, 2022 pending when government is able to return us to normalcy.”
