The Labour movement, Coalition of northern and pro-Biafra groups have distanced themselves from any planned mass action over the minimum wage impasse or any other contentious issue in the country.

In a statement, President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Mr Quadri A. Olaleye, denied involvement of the Congress in any planned action.

He insisted that there were no issues in contention with any public authority that had not been subjected to social dialogue that requires extraordinary means or action to resolve.

“The Congress further states that if such issues arise, the Labour Centre will go through its internal mechanism to procure authority for such an action, bearing in mind that its organs must be properly briefed and thorough debates will be undertaken before the organs can give approval.”

His counterparts in Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba, said there was nothing on the table of the union suggesting mass action.

“Before we embark on any mass action or street protest, the issue(s) in contestation must first be thoroughly debated by the appropriate organs of the Congress,” his statement reads.

NLC president informed members and affiliate unions, civil society allies and the general public that Nigeria Labour Congress was neither  organising nor getting associated with any mass action or street protest over any issue in any part or every  part of the country in the days ahead, Wabba stated.

Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), consisting mainly Arewa youths also  disassociated north from the match.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, spokesman of the group, Mr AbdulAzeez Suleiman, said the people of the north would not support any move that would cause violence and disaffection across the nation.

Suleiman alleged the call for revolution match was a foreign plot to destabilise the country.

“CNG is not disposed to participating in, supporting, encouraging or in anyway promoting actions that are potentially violent, sponsored by obscure organisations with suspicious motives.

“We have failed to see how the interest of, particularly the northern people, can be served by a movement led by those who have been directly or remotely connected to the decades-old agenda for the emasculation of the North.

“CNG calls on all northerners to disregard the calls and resist the temptation of being dragged into participating in any way in a movement that would turn out to the disadvantage of the region.”

Similarly, Coalition of pro-Biafra groups namely Biafra Independence Organization (BIO), Igbo Revolutionary Movement (IRM), Eastern Peoples Renewal (EPR),

and Biafra Clergy Network (BCM) also disowned the planned protest.

In a press statement signed by administrative secretary of the group, Mr Emeka Ibekwe, in Owerri, it urged Ndigbo to be careful of such protest as it noted that it could be a ploy to deceive them for another “shoot at sight” killing.

“It is organized by some failed politicians. Ndigbo should be very careful of engaging themselves in a subtle adventure that will derail our Biafra restoration agenda.

“We must learn from history and not  allow ourselves to be used by hypocritical enemies who always capitalised on our ingenuity to self-determination in pushing us out of our primary target of Biafra actualisation and restoration agenda to a camouflaged protest for Nigeria democratic survival.”

The statement further read: “Coalition of pro-Biafra agitators advise all members of Biafra agitating groups to decline involvement and participation in the scheduled protest in Aba, Onitsha, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Abakiliki, because the blood of Biafrans are too precious to waste for the sustenance of Nigeria democratic survival.”

 

Sun