Economic hardship: Niger police, DSS meet labour unions ahead of protest

The Niger State Police Command and the Department of State Services on Monday held separate meetings with the leadership of the state labour unions over the protests planned for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The meeting was a prelude to the outcome of the Niger Labour Congress’ warning strike in the state.

Both meetings were held at the respective offices of both agencies in Minna, the state capital with their security chiefs.

The PUNCH learnt that the meeting at the police headquarters presided over by the state Commissioner of Police, Shawulu Danmamman, stressed the need for the protest to be peaceful and orderly.

The one held a the DSS office was also eventful as the operatives warned the labour leaders against the protest taking place at all.

The DSS warned the labour leaders that they would be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the course of the protest.

According to a source close to the participants at the meeting, the police promised to provide adequate security to the protesters.

The state Chairman of the NLC, Idrees Lafene, confirmed in a telephone interview with PUNCH Online that the meeting took place.

“We are just coming from the meeting with the police and the DSS. The police promised to give us protection during the protest.

“We are going ahead with the protest, everything is set,” Lafene declared before disclosing that the protest will commence from the Labour House to the state House of Assembly and back.

Lafene charged workers pro-democracy activists and members of civil society organisations to turn out in numbers for the protest.

The police in a statement on Monday said it had directed its Department of Operations, Area Commanders, Tactical Commanders and DPOs to ensure visibility policing, deploy adequate police personnel and operational assets to dominate public places and monitor situations through intelligence-led/visibility policing to avoid protest hijack/miscreants’ lawlessness.

The command’s spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun, who signed the statement, said the police also directed that critical infrastructures, government offices, banks, police stations and other public assets must be adequately protected for public safety.

Abiodun told the organised labour that “despite having the citizen’s right of peaceful protest, which the police must protect, the protesters must ensure that all processions are conducted within the ambit of the law” saying that in the process of exercising their rights, other people’s rights must not be violated.

He added that they must “conduct themselves in a very civilized manner devoid of unruly character, as the Police will be on the ground to provide security and subdue anyone or group of persons who may want to use such avenue to cause a breach of public peace”.

Abiodun equally urged parents/guardians to warn their wards against any act of violence during the protest and warned members of the public to be law-abiding and go about their lawful businesses

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