Constitution Amendment: NLC leads protest to National Assembly

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is leading a protest to the National Assembly, to demand overwhelming votes from the federal lawmakers, ahead of the clause by clause voting on the ongoing constitution alteration process.

They specifically want the leadership of the National Assembly to include in the exclusive legislative list, autonomy for the judiciary, state legislatures, local governments as well as give powers to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct all local council elections in the country.

The protest, which kicked off at the headquarters of the NLC, Central Business District, Abuja, as early as 9am on Monday is informed by plans by the National Assembly to amend sections of the 1999 constitution.

Recall that the National Assembly will, by this week, begin proceedings to amend sections of the constitution allegedly hindering growth in the country.

President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, who is leading the protest, said governance at the grassroot level has been mortgaged by a few individuals with vested interest.

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He said for too long, local government administrations have been at the mercy of state governors, who divert funds meant for infrastructural development at the grassroots to other purposes.

According to Wabba, the situation where people troop from the rural areas to urban centres on daily basis cannot be unconnected with the alienation of the local government councils in Nigeria, stressing that when they lack basic necessities of life they are left with no option than to migrate to the city centres.