Ekiti workers lament economic hardship, killings, demand FG’s urgent intervention

Ekiti State workers on Thursday demanded urgent action from the federal government to reduce economic hardship and killings across the country, as well as, to stop violating freedom of expression.

Labour leaders in the state, who made the demand during the 2025 May Day rally in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Thursday, lamented that the economic challenges confronting Nigeria are biting harder than ever.

The theme of the workers day celebration is “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the Midst of Economic Hardship,”

The TUC Chairman, Sola Adigun, said inflation stood at 112 per cent as of March 2025, with food inflation alone exceeding 40 per cent, adding that the costs of basic commodities including rice, bread, petrol, have more than doubled in the past year.

Mr Adigun lamented non-commitment to the payment of the minimum wage, noting that it has been politicised in some states of the federation.

“Meanwhile, the national wage remains a paltry N70.000, even as full implementation of the new living wage is mired in political wrangling in some states. In real terms, the value of the minimum wage has been eroded by over 60 per cent due to inflation.

“Employment remains dangerously high at around 33 per cent, with youth unemployment estimated at 45 per cent. Those who are employed often endure precarious work conditions, delayed salaries, underemployment, and job insecurity,” he said.

The TUC chairman expressed worry that the civic space is shrinking as labour could no longer protest peacefully or speak without fear.

“Perhaps even more worrying is the systematic shrinking of the civic space. Our right to organise, to protest peacefully, to speak without fear, and to hold our leaders accountable is increasingly under threat. Trade union activities are frequently disrupted by security agencies, while non-state actors, whose interests remain shadowy-interfere in workers’ struggles,” he said.

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Also speaking, the Chairman NLC, Ekiti State Chapter, Kolapo Olatunde lamented persistent incidents of kidnapping, heart-wrenching killing of farmers by armed herdsmen and killings in some parts of Benue and Plateau states are condemnable.

“We therefore call on the security apparatus in Nigeria and across the states of the federation to rise to challenge and take decisive action that will stem the tide.

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“This is our clarion call; our farmlands must be safe, our people must be able to go about their lawful businesses without fear; workers in Nigeria especially in the troubling areas should leave home for work and be sure of returning safely to their families”

In his address at the occasion, the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, said the state government has responsibilities towards workers which calls for cooperation, collaboration, consensus, comradeship and not confrontation.

“For, it is in the atmosphere of peace and harmony that meaningful development can take place. It is therefore imperative for us to embrace peace and shun any act capable of threatening the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the state.

“As we face the economic realities of our time, let us engage in constructive dialogue, eschew disharmony and rancour. Ekiti must not be left behind in the scheme of things. We must prepare our workforce for the digital age—through training, innovation, and entrepreneurship,” Mr Oyebanji said.