MEET FRANK OSHANUGOR
By Frank Oshanugor
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fayoade Adegoke has been commended for the magnanimity displayed towards protesters in some parts of Lagos on Tuesday as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) began a two-day protest against insecurity and economic hardship in the country.
Rather than exhibit the brutality for which the Nigeria police and other security agencies are known for, on behalf of the oppressive political leaders, Adegoke who led his police operatives alongside the protesters chose to distribute packs of bottled water and biscuits to the protesting workers.
In a trending video, one of the protesting workers commended the Commissioner, saying that “this is the very first time in Nigeria such a magnanimous act would take place towards protesters.” He thanked the police boss for being “supportive with water and biscuits which would give me more energy to continue the protest.”. He charged President Bola Tinubu to emulate the police commissioner by quickly identifying with the problems of Nigerians in this period of insecurity and hardship.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who joined the protesters in the early hours from their take off point at Ikeja under bridge through Obafemi Awolowo Way down to seat of Lagos State Government in Alausa, Ikeja told Atlanticnewsonline that the protest was largely peaceful and a huge success.
He said Commissioner Adegoke was firmly on ground leading his officers and men alongside the NLC protesters to Alausa where they finally went to the Lagos State House of Assembly to present a letter to Government highlighting the problems of Nigerian workers.
The NLC had declared February 27 and 28 as protest days to draw the attention of the Tinubu-led administration to the monumental problems of insecurity and economic hardship across the 36 states of the federation.
The protest is expected to continue tommorow in parts of the country and members of affiliate unions to the Nigeria Labour Congress are expected to fully participate.
