By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State Government on Tuesday expressed its support for organised labour in the state who joined their counterparts in a nationwide protest against economic hardship being felt by workers and the entire citizens.
The chief of staff to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Mr Paul Biam, who spoke on behalf of his principal at Government House Makurdi while receiving the protesting workers who marched to Government House under the aegis of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), said as a government, they were completely in agreement with the fact that workers, and indeed Nigerians, are going through tough times.
“We have to accept the reality in our faces. It is only when we accept and bring out polices that we will cushion this and we will live better. So, Benue State Government is in complete support of what you are doing to ensure that government is on her toes to bringing up policies that will alleviate the suffering of the masses,” Biam said.
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Biam promised to take to the governor some documents submitted to him by labour leaders containing their grievances and requests for onward transmission to Abuja.
Biam commended the unionists for their orderly conduct and urged them to maintain it. He promised that the peaceful protest and warning would not go unnoticed, assuring that the government would take it seriously.
Earlier, leaders of labour unions in the state, including NLC state chairperson, Comrade Terungwa Igbe, chairman, organising committee of the protest, Comrade Umaja Aloysius, ASUU Chairman, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Comrade Paul Anyagh, among others, were unanimous in their remarks that the economic hardship inflicted on workers has made it impossible for them to fend for their families.
“If not because of the economic hardship inflicted on Nigerian workers by the president, we wouldn’t have been complaining too much and we would have forgotten about the arrears. But because of the hardship now, the salary that is being paid to us cannot feed a family of two or even one”, Comrade Umaja said.
