Naira scarcity: NLC to picket CBN offices nationwide

By Joan Nwagwu

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it would picket all Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offices nationwide on March 29, following the continued cash crunch.

Mr Joe Ajaero, the NLC President, said this in Abuja on Wednesday, while addressing newsmen at the end of  the Congress’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting.

It would be recalled that the NLC’s CWC had on March 13, issued the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum that expired on March 20 to address current cash crunch.

According to Ajaero, consequently, the CWC-in-session resolves to go into the process of actualising the one week notice.

“From Friday, there will be mobilisation of all state councils through a National Executive Council meeting.

“All unions have already been directed to mobilise all their organs and their branches. By Wednesday next week, all Central Bank of Nigeria offices nationwide will be picketed.

“All central bank, from its headquarters will be shut till further notice. Workers are directed to stay at home and join in the picketing,’’he said.

The NLC president, however, recalled that the CWC gave a one week ultimatum for the government to address immediately, among others, issues of cash crunch that was caused by the policy.

He said that as at Wednesday morning, when the CWC met again to review the situation, it discovered that not much improvement had been made.

“The situation is still almost the same. People are still buying our currency with our currencies, ‘’he said.

The NLC president noted that people could no longer assess the currency, adding, “the government seems to be very adamant on this’’.

He further said that no move had  been made to reduce the suffering of Nigerians.

“We call on Nigerians to understand the circumstances we are operating in. People will be telling you about the political situation.

“The political situation is self inflicted and the economic situation is worse than the political situation because people cannot eat. Workers can no longer go to office and nothing is happening.

‘So, we have been pushed to the wall having given one week and we thought they can address the situation which is still not addressed,” he said.

Ajaero added that the workers have decided to take their destiny in their hands saying, ” so comrades, the mobilisation commences immediately and when we talk of action from Wednesday, it’s total until further notice”. (NAN)