Kaduna: Sowore’s ‘Take It Back’ movement joins NLC protest

The ‘Take It Back’ movement has thrown its weight behind the ongoing labour protest in Kaduna state.

The protest is part of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warning strike against the Nasir El-Rufai government.

“The Take It Back movement, Kaduna chapter, solidarise with Kaduna workers over the industrial action against reckless violation of labour rights, non-implementation of minimum wage, arbitrary ‘redundancy’; mass sack of workers, increment in school fees by over 1000 percent and insecurity,” the activist group tweeted on Monday.

The tweet included photos of activists from the movement at a protest venue in Kaduna.

The ‘Take It Back’ movement is led by activist publisher and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.

NLC’s strike action has led to a total shutdown of electricity supply, government schools and offices, banks, airport, train station and related agencies and services.

Workers across the state and leadership of all the affiliate unions of NLC have converged at the state capital, Kaduna, to ensure the success of the strike, Tribune reports.

As early as 8 am, workers gathered at the state office of NLC, by the state secretariat carrying placards with various inscriptions against the state governments, to commence a protest.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who led the workers in the protest declared that there “is no retreat and no surrender,” until the state governor Nasir El-Rufai reverses the sacking of workers and pay those who have been sacked about four years ago.

He stated that the Kaduna State government has been feeding the public with lies as none of the labour unions and their leaders were consulted as claimed by the government.

The protesters carried a huge banner om which they had printed “Hell Rufai” — a derogatory play on Governor El-Rufai’s name.