Organised labour in Ekiti State on Wednesday joined the nationwide solidarity protest against rising insecurity across the country, calling on the Federal Government to take urgent and decisive steps to safeguard lives and property.
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and affiliated unions, wielding placards, marched through major streets in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, to express concern over what they described as the worsening security situation and its impact on workers and ordinary citizens.
Speaking during the protest, the Ekiti State Chairman of the NLC, Kolapo Olatunde, said insecurity had become a serious threat to national stability, economic growth and the welfare of Nigerian workers. He urged the Federal Government, in collaboration with state governments and security agencies, to urgently strengthen the country’s security architecture.
Olatunde called for improved intelligence gathering, better funding and welfare for security personnel, as well as the deployment of modern technology to combat crime.
“The rising wave of insecurity across the country has reached an alarming level. Workers are among the worst affected, as many can no longer go about their legitimate duties without fear,” he said. “Government must act now to restore public confidence and guarantee the safety of Nigerians.”
He added that no meaningful development could take place in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, noting that many Nigerians were increasingly afraid to travel, farm or engage in daily economic activities.
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Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the state, Oluseyi Olatunde, said more proactive and holistic approaches were needed to tackle insecurity nationwide. He stressed that beyond deploying security forces, the government must address the root causes of insecurity, including unemployment, poverty and social exclusion.
Ekiti State, located in the South-West, shares boundaries with Kwara and Kogi states in the North-Central region, areas that have recorded incidents of kidnapping and armed banditry in recent times, making the state vulnerable to spillover violence.
The protest comes amid widespread security challenges across the country, including terrorism in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, kidnapping and herder-farmer clashes in the North-Central, separatist agitations in the South-East and piracy in the South-South.