Cross River State Speaker, Rt Hon.Elvert Ayambem has appealed to the State leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and members of the public who commenced protest against the recent increase in fuel price to shelve their protest.
Recall that on Wednesday, members of the NLC, TUC and other affiliate unions commenced protest in Calabar to demand that the government immediately address the harsh State of the economy.
Addressing the peaceful protesters at the Assembly Complex on Wednesday, Ayambem, pacify the protesters while promising that the Cross State government, under the leadership of Governor Bassey Otu will work on their demands.
He also assured the labour union that drastic changes will be done in order to meet up with their demands.
“I have been saying this a couple of times for those who care to listen. This assembly is like a postal agency where people come and deposit whatever and we will transmit to appropriate authority. It is on that light that I’m welcoming you to the assembly complex today.
“I am never against what you people are doing. It is only an insane person that would be against labor Union. You don’t buy from different market. We all buy from the same market. What is biting you is biting us. Where it’s itching you is equally itching us. I share in your pain, that if subsidy is removed let the application be done on your salaries and wages.
“I equally share in the pain of electricity tariff being skyrocketed. All of your concerns here are not out of place. So, I won’t tilt completely to the executive or the government. I won’t equally tilt completely to labour Union. I’m going to take a stand at the middle. But I will make sure that your sufferings are duly I can tell you that on authority.
“I come from a family background and I know a couple of times I’d have to step down from so many things so that my younger ones could breathe. I think if I could do that as an individual, the federal government should also step down on a couple of things so that the citizens can breathe.
“I’m going to engage the Governor immediately he comes in. People who know the Governor here knows that if he says yes he means yes. If he says no he means no. I am saying this with utmost clarity and authority that when I deliberate with the Governor you will see changes.
“The Governor owes us a duty, interacting with the federal government because there’s a chain of command. You have deposited it here. I’m going to raise the concerns with the Governor who will in turn raise it with Mr. President.
