Hardship, Food Scarcity Has Turned Nigerians Into Scavengers – NLC President Laments

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, on Friday lamented that the economic hardship in the country, as well as food scarcity, has turned many Nigerians into scavengers.

He submitted that if the government can not see it, they, as labour leaders, can see what is happening.

Ajaero made his views known on Friday in Abuja, when he spoke at the 11th quadrennial delegates conference of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria.

The NLC president said the government must not turn deaf ears and blind eyes to the sufferings of the people but must uphold its end of responsibilities to the people.

The Labour Leader also chided the government for saying the protest of the citizens against hardship were sponsored by some individuals.

He said, “Food has become so scarce that Nigerians have become scavengers and resorting to raiding food trucks and warehouses for food.

“If those in government cannot see the danger in what is happening, we see it and must ensure that the government fulfils its duties to the people.

“We are increasingly going hungry in our father’s land and cannot continue in this destitution. The greatest unifier and mobiliser of people is hunger. It insults common sense when those in government assume that somebody is sponsoring people who are protesting because of hunger.”

He noted that recent looting by Nigerians in certain places, including Abuja, was caused by government policies, which may escalate if nothing is done to address the issue.

“If anybody is arousing the people, it is those in government whose policies have impoverished the people and stripped them of those values that make them human beings.

“The looting of food trucks and warehouses is what you get when this happens. Unless something is done, this may unfortunately escalate. We pray it does not.

“Those who, therefore, think that they can stop us from this divine mission with their threats and violence should think twice. We cannot be cowed. We cannot surrender our natural mandate to powers and agents of poverty and emasculation. We are not after anybody’s job but we must insist that the instruments of governance must be used for the greater good of the people and not to wreck their lives,” Ajaero stated.