High Chief Tola Adeniyi has chided the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), declaring that the labour union is playing politics with the masses’ emotions.
The veteran journalist and for Managing Director of Daily Times stated this in a press statement issued on Tuesday.
Recalled that members of the NLC embarked on a two-day warning strike across the country yesterday in protest against hunger and economic hardship.
However, the leadership of the labour union, on Tuesday night, directed its members to suspend the second day of the nationwide protest, claiming that the strike has achieved great success.
NLC President, Joe Ajero, stated in a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday night that the decision was taken after a review of the effectiveness of the Day One of the protest.
High Chief Adeniyi, however, castigated the NLC leadership, saying the game it is playing with the masses’ emotions regarding strike actions is too dangerous and calamitous for the country.
“Calling people out, working up their emotions and hyping their game-plan does not portray the Labour and T?trade organisations as serious, reliable or even trustworthy.
“What is the essence of doing cat calls without proper homework and without exhausting all negotiations with the government?,” he asked.
Chief Adeniyi added that, with the way NLC is going on, a time would come when the masses would no longer heed its call, but rather resort to self help.
At that point, he said, the masses may become wild and things would get out of control, thus leading to unpredictable consequences.
“The way the Labour Congress is carrying on, a time will come when nobody will heed their call. And worse still, masses may resort to self help and become wild and out of control. “That will definitely set serious danger and calamity in motion with unpredictable consequences.
“Should Nigerians be forced to resort to a revolution, no force anywhere would be able to contain the fire.
“NLC should be careful and stop being a pun or ping pong. The country is too tense and emotions too brittle to be toyed with at this point in time,” High Chief Adeniyi warned.
