Economic Hardship: Pat Utomi Slams Opposition Parties Over Failure To Lead Protest

Renowned political economist, Pat Utomi, has berated the opposition parties in Nigeria for failing to lead protests amid worsening economic hardship in the country.

Naija News reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and other related unions protested the high cost of living, inflation, insecurity, and hardship in the country.

The union revealed that its members and leadership were threatened and intimidated against carrying out their planned two-day nationwide protest.

However, after Tuesday’s successful protest across various state capitals and major cities, the NLC announced the suspension of its planned second-day protest, saying the objectives of the protest had been achieved on the first day.

Shedding more light on the development, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday revealed that the cancellation of the second-day protest was a strategic move on the part of the NLC.

He, however, added that if the federal government fails to comply with the demands of the union within the new ultimatum given, the National Executive Council of the NLC would reveal the next line of action.

Reacting, Utomi, in a post on his X handle on Thursday, said labour unions are now the ones leading protests because political parties are failing.

According to him, opposition parties lead protests in other places, and it is why the building of real parties is imperative.

He said: “The protests have come and gone. Power says they are political. What did they expect them to be, apolitical. Labour Unions are acting because political parties are failing. Elsewhere opposition parties lead the protests. This is why the building of real parties is imperative.”