By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
In view of the planned on Nationwide Labour protest,scheduled for August 2,2023,the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, in charge of Zone 8 Headquarters, AIG Babatunde B. Ishola, has appealed to the organized Labour in Kogi State,north central Nigeria, for a peaceful protest.
He made the appeal during his meeting with the Labour Leaders in Lokoja, stating that the meeting wad aimed at appealing to the Labour Union to conduct themselves within the context of the law and guard against instances where hoodlums might seize the opportunity and hijack the process.
The Commissioner of Police Kogi State Police Command, CP. Onuoha Bethrand, commended the AIG for the prompt meeting which he added allayed fears that the peaceful protest could be hijacked by the hoodlums.
The CP,who also appealed to the Labour Leaders to collaborate with the Security Agencies to deny trouble makers the opportunity to strike, assured adequate Security deployment during the protest.
In his reaction, the Kogi State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Amari Gabriel, assured the AIG that members of the organized Labour in the State,being a law abiding body, would do their best to ensure a peaceful protest.
He said NLC in the state would obey the National directive for all the State Chapters to embark on a National protest, adding that members of the congress would appear on their uniforms while those without uniform would be issued with tags for easy identification.
Also, the Kogi State TUC Chairman, Comrade Ahmed Sule Tijani, disclosed that the purpose of the protest was to let the Government know that “Labour is the hope of a common man,” but promised that the protest would be peaceful.
Other senior Officers at the meeting include, DCP Atabor Nosa Festus,Deputy Commissioner of Police, Administration, zone 8 Headquarters, Lokoja, ACP Ajao Olusegun, Assistant Commissioner of Investigation, Zone 8 Headquarters Lokoja, ACP Sunday Omonijo, Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations, zone 8 Headquarters Lokoja and Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo, Vice Chairman, NLC Kogi State amon others.
This is contained in a statement signed and made available to The Reporters by SP William Ovye Aya,
Police Public Relations Officer,
Kogi State Police Command on Tuesday in Lokoja.
