The Kogi State Police Command has assured workers of adequate protection during today’s protest over economic hardship in the country.

The state Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Onuoha, gave the assurance during an engagement meeting with officials of both Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress at the command’s headquarters, in Lokoja.

Mr Onuoha said he expected decorum and peaceful conduct by organised labour, which would not tamper with the prevailing peace the state was enjoying.

He said, “We are much aware of the proposed nationwide protest by the organised labour scheduled for February 27. This meeting is aimed at appealing to you, the labour unions to conduct yourselves within the law to prevent hoodlums from hijacking the process.

“We expect you to cooperate with us, the security operatives, to deny hoodlums the opportunity to hijack the process and breach the peace of the state. I want to assure that we are going to carry out adequate security deployment during the protest. We are appealing to you, the organised labour leaders in the state, to ensure a peaceful protest.’’

Responding, the state NLC Chairman, Gabriel Amari, said that the organised labour in Kogi State were law-abiding citizens, who would cooperate with the police and other security agencies to ensure a peaceful process.

Mr Amari added, “We are appreciative of your promise to give us adequate protection in line with the letter we wrote to you and this meeting.”

Also, TUC Chairman, Sule Ahmed-Tijani, said, “Peaceful protest is a channel through which labour communicates to the government. This is simply because labour is the hope of a common man.”

The other senior police officers present at the meeting included DCP Chike Louis Nwabuwa, Deputy Commissioner of Police Department of Operations, SP William Ovye Aya, PPRO as well as SP Shamsideen Bawa Ibrahim, Admin Officer, Operations.

(NAN)