Governor Seyi Makinde has pleaded with Nigerians to endure the current hardship, saying it will end soon.

Mr Makinde made the plea while addressing Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leaders and other protesters at the Total Garden Roundabout in Ibadan on Tuesday.

The labour leaders and youths began a two-day peaceful protest declared by the NLC over the hardship faced by Nigerians.

The leadership of the NLC initially restricted the governor from addressing the protesters, alleging that he was among the nation’s leaders causing the hardship.

Mr Makinde urged the labour leaders to make their demands to his government, stating areas they would want the government to assist in ameliorating the hardship faced by the masses.

He said his administration had been living up to its expectations as regards the welfare of its workforce.

“The government has started paying N25,000 and N15,000 wage awards to all state civil servants and pensioners, respectively, since October,” he said.

The governor assured the people that his government remained committed to implementing programmes which would cushion the removal of the fuel subsidy effect.

He appealed to the NLC to let the protest remain peaceful.

In Ogun, protesters converged at the NLC Secretariat, Leme, Abeokuta, and moved through the NNPC junction, MKO stadium, to Kuto Roundabout.

They carried placards with the inscriptions, ‘Let the poor breathe’, ‘End hunger and poverty’, ‘Reject IMF/World Bank Policies’, ‘Stop importation of petrol’, and ‘fix refineries now’.

Speaking with journalists, Hammed Ademola-Benco, Ogun NLC chairman, said the protest was hinged on getting good deals for Nigerians and never confronting the government.

Mr Ademola-Benco said the current economic hardship in the country had really affected the psychology of the people.

The NLC chairman described the industrial action as successful, as the leadership of the 40 union affiliates in the state were on the ground to participate in the protest.

(NAN)