Lagos May Day Celebration Ends in Fiasco

Workers in Lagos State booed and heckled the Head of Service Lagos State, Mrs Olabowade Ademola and successfully stopped her from delivering the 2016 Workers Day solidarity message on behalf of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

The situation at Onikan Stadium venue of the event which was denegerating into chaos led to cancellation of the traditional March past by the different affiliate unions under the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.

Amidst protest shouts of protests, a team of policemen and officials of the state government led Adebola to the podium to deliver the governor’s address, but her voice was drowned in a din of noise created by the protesting workers.

Following the chaotic situation, the May Day celebration ended abruptly as the workers were instructed by their leaders to return home.

Speaking before the fiasco on the theme for May Day 2016, ‘The Working Class and the Quest for Socio-economic  Revival’, Chairman of the NLC in Lagos State, Mr. Idowu Adelakun said the issue of socio-economic revival is now on the front burner of public discourse due to the sheer number of Nigerians who wallow in abject poverty with obvious deprivation and lack of access to social amenities

He further said the unfulfilled daily life expectation of an average Nigerian shows that our ruling political elites have not only disappointed Nigerians but also not learnt from history.

His colleague from the TUC, Mr. Akeem Kazeem said the different present administrations are battling with the direction need to revive the national economy, the social infrastructure, even the national currency. Many states cannot pay their workers, there is a cute scarcity of petroleum, even to pass the annual budget for 2016 has become a series film featuring the National Assembly and the Presidency.

Kazeem posited that there are visible signs of development in Lagos State under Ambode. He said most of the linkages to siphone money in Lagos State have been blocked.