The House of Representatives has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its planned nationwide protests.

Akin Rotimi, the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs chairman, said this in a statement.

“We appeal to the NLC and allied labour unions to call off the planned peaceful protest and embrace continuous dialogue. This is in the best interest of hardworking Nigerian workers without worsening the current hardship they are facing,” said the lower house of the National Assembly.

It said as the people’s representatives, the house was fully aware and empathised with Nigerians on account of the hardship experienced due to the removal of fuel subsidy.

“We also acknowledge the rights of the NLC to carry out peaceful protests as a means of clamouring for relief for Nigerian workers as we go through these challenging times,” added the statement.

It said like most Nigerians, the federal lawmakers knew that building a progressive and prosperous nation required hard and far-reaching decisions which must be taken in the collective interest of the people.

The statement also mentioned the need to see reason with the decision of the federal government to take the bull by the horn in the interest of long-term economic growth and stability.

“We will, however, continue to impress it on the executive arm of government to expedite the implementation of the palliative measures announced by President Bola Tinubu,” it explained.

The parliament urged President Bola Tinubu’s regime to consider additional measures to bring the people immediate respite.

“The gap between the removal of fuel subsidy and the tangible outcomes of palliative measures must be shortened for the sake of poor and vulnerable Nigerians,” said the house. “Accordingly, call on the leadership of the NLC and other labour unions in Nigeria to please divert their energies to join the House of Reps in continuous engagement with the federal government.”

It added, “This is to achieve expedited implementation of the programmes and push for additional immediate measures to provide succour for Nigerians.”

The legislators noted that it “is our considered opinion that embarking on a protest at this time would in effect shut down our economy and further disrupt the lives of Nigerians, and therefore not in our best interest.”

(NAN)