Nigeria: Urgent Measures Needed to Stop the Violence

Brussels, 23 January 2012 (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC, together with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, is urging the authorities to end the cycle of violence and the growing state of insecurity occurring in Nigeria.

Armed groups have been attacking residents of several parts of the North, culminating in the bloodiest of such attacks in Kano where about 250 people were reported to have died as a result of multiple bomb attacks in several locations in the commercial city. This was followed with another attack in Bauchi.

According to trade union leaders in the country the Nigerian Federal Government have failed to combat the country’s socio-economic deficiencies which has led to unemployment, collapse in the education system, collapse of industries as well as other infrastructure. All these have been compounded by the recent increase in the pump price of petrol.

Earlier this month, the Nigerian trade union movement organised a general strike to protestagainst the government’s removal of fuel subsidies (see previous ITUC news: http://www.ituc-csi.org/nigeria-international-trade-union.html?lang=en ). The government responded to the protest with brutal repression rather than seeking a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“It is time for the Nigerian authorities to take all necessary measures to stop the violence and to address democratically the socio economic challenges needed” said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary.

The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 153 countries and territories and has 308 national affiliates.
Website: http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

ENDS

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